Agenda of Extraordinary Council Meeting

Extraordinary Council Meeting

24 May 2021

Item No: C0521(2) Item 1

Subject: Investment Policy Update

Council at its meeting on 11 May 2021 resolved that the matter be deferred to the meeting to be held on 24 May 2021.

Prepared By: Daryl Jackson - Chief Financial Officer

Authorised By: Elizabeth Richardson - Chief Operating Officer, Director Development and Recreation

RECOMMENDATION

THAT the revised Inner West Council Investment Policy be adopted.

DISCUSSION

The proposed changes to Inner West Council’s Investment Policy are primarily aimed at complying with NSW TCorp’s loan covenant for the recent borrowings. No changes to Council’s policy regarding non-fossil fuel exposure has been made.

The most significant proposed amendment is the removal of references to short term credit ratings of Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions (ADIs). NSW TCorp is not allowing for risk differentiation between short term and long term exposures to the same bank.

NSW TCorp requires tighter limits on exposures to banks with BBB+ and BBB long term credit ratings. NSW TCorp’s specific requirements are as follows:

· Combined investments with ADIs with a Long Term Debt Rating of BBB+ and BBB are to be reduced to a maximum of 20% of Council’s Investment Funds;

Note: Since many banks with BBB+ and BBB long term ratings also have short term ratings of A-2, this will limit Council’s diversification among those banks.

· Investments with an ADI with a Long Term Debt Rating of BBB- and an Unrated ADI are to be limited to the amount of the Commonwealth Government Guarantee (Financial Claims Scheme).

Note: Council does not have any exposure to BBB- or Unrated ADIs. It is recommended these categories are not included in the policy as their impact would be marginal given the current government guarantee limit of $250,000 per institution.

The recommended changes to the Investment Policy are as follows:

1) Overall Portfolio Credit Framework

Current:

To control the credit quality on the entire portfolio, the following credit framework limits the percentage of the portfolio exposed to any particular credit rating category.

ADI Portfolio Credit Limits/Ratings
Long Term	Short Term	Maximum
AAA	A-1+	100%
AA	A-1	100%
A	A-2	70%
BBB	N/A	20%
Unrated	Unrated	10%
Specific Ministerial Approved Forms of Investment
NSW Treasury Corp Deposits and TCorpIM Funds		100%

Proposed:

To control the credit quality on the entire portfolio, the following credit framework limits the percentage of the portfolio exposed to any particular credit rating category.

Long Term Credit Ratings	Portfolio Max %
AAA, AA+, AA, AA-	100%
A+, A, A-	70%
BBB+, BBB	20%
BBB- and lower & Unrated (excluding NSW TCorpIM Funds)	0%
Specific Ministerial Approved Forms of Investment	Portfolio Max %
NSW TCorpIM Funds	100%

2) Individual Institution Credit Framework:

Current:

Exposure to an individual institution will be restricted by their credit rating so that single entity exposure is limited, as detailed in the table below:

ADI Portfolio Credit Limits/Ratings
Long Term	Short Term	Maximum
AAA	A-1+	45%
AA	A-1	30%
A	A-2	20%
BBB	N/A	10%
Unrated	Unrated	5%
NSW Treasury Corp Deposits and TCorp IM Funds
11am, Term Deposits or Bonds		35%
TCorpIM Cash Fund		35%
TCorpIM Strategic Cash Fund		20%

Proposed:

Council’s exposure to an individual institution will be restricted by the institution’s credit rating, with the exception of the NSW TCorpIM funds, which do not have credit ratings.

Long Term Credit Ratings	Institution Max %
AAA, AA+, AA, AA-	50%
A+, A, A-	30%
BBB+, BBB	10%
BBB- and lower & Unrated (excluding NSW TCorpIM Funds)	0%
NSW TCorp IM Funds	Max %
TCorpIM Cash Fund	35%
TCorpIM Short Term Income Fund	20%

Credit ratings are based upon the Standard & Poor’s Investment Rating, or equivalent, where a Standard & Poor’s Investment Rating does not exist.

3) Term to Maturity Framework:

It is proposed to streamline the term to maturity categories by eliminating subgroup limits, e.g. >3 years ≤5 years, but maintaining scaled limits, e.g. Portfolio % > 3 years:

Current

Overall Portfolio Term to Maturity Limits
Portfolio % ≤1 year	Min 40%	Max 100%
Portfolio % >1 year ≤10 years	Min 0%	Max 60%
>1 year ≤ 3 years	Min 0%	Max 60%
>3 years ≤5 years	Min 0%	Max 30%
>5 years ≤10 years	Min 0%	Max 15%

Proposed:

Overall Portfolio Term to Maturity Limits
Portfolio % ≤1 year	Min 40%	Max 100%
Portfolio % >1 year ≤10 years	Min 0%	Max 60%
Portfolio % > 3 years	Min 0%	Max 30%
Portfolio % > 5 yrs ≤ 10 yrs	Min 0%	Max 15%

4) Delegation of Authority

Many banks are requesting proof of Delegated Authorities having been ratified by Council. For the purposes of investing, it is efficient to have a table within the Investment Policy. The following changes are recommended:

Current:

Authority for implementation of the Investment Policy is delegated by Council to the General Manager in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993.

The General Manager may in turn delegate the day-to-day management of Council’s investment to the Responsible Accounting Officer or senior staff, subject to regular reviews.

Officers with delegated authority to manage Council’s investments shall be recorded and required to acknowledge they have received a copy of this policy and understand their obligations in this role.

Proposed:

Authority for implementation of the Investment Policy is delegated by Council to the General Manager in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993.

Authorised Officer	Roles and Responsibilities
General Manager	Authority to invest surplus funds and authority to delegate this function in accordance with the councils adopted investment policy.
Chief Operating Officer	Per Delegation
Chief Financial Officer	Per Delegation
Rates & Investment Manager	Per Delegation

Those officers with delegated authority to manage Council’s investments, as per above, shall acknowledge they have received a copy of this policy and understand their obligations in this role.

Additional Notes:

o Reference to “11am, Term Deposits and Bonds” available through NSW TCorp has been removed as those investment options are easily accessible directly from the banks themselves.

· If Council were to obtain bank deposits via NSW TCorp, the credit exposures would be limited according to the credit rating of the bank not NSW TCorp.

· The NSW TCorp Green Term Deposits are rated AA+ and will come under the 50% limit for AA+ rated exposure. In December 2020, Standard & Poor’s Credit Rating Agency downgraded New South Wales’ credit rating from AAA to AA+ in response to an expected large scale increase in debt to help rebuild the state’s post-covid economy. Despite the downgrade, there is little concern regarding NSW’s ability to repay its debts and the AA+ credit rating is among the highest given to an Australian state or territory.

o The proposed Institutional Credit Limit for individual banks with credit ratings of AAA, AA+, AA, and AA- has been increased to 50%. This provides more allowance for Green Term Deposits currently being provided by NSW TCorp (AA+ rated) and Westpac (AA- rated).

o The proposed Institutional Credit Limit for individual banks with credit ratings of A+, A & A- has been increased to 30%. This provides more allowance to the highest rated non-fossil aligned banks, such as Suncorp and Rabobank.

o Under Performance Benchmarks:

· the reference to “1 July 2018” has been removed in the following sentence:

In addition, Council targets exposure to non-fossil fuel investments to be no less than 70% of its overall portfolio. ~~from 1 July 2018 onward.~~

· With the sharp drop in interest rates over the past two years and with expectations that the RBA will keep the official cash rate at 0.10%pa into 2024 in an effort to support economic growth, the budgeted target return for interest income is recommended to be amended from 125 to 40 basis points above the BBSW.

ATTACHMENTS

1.⇩

Inner West Council Investment Policy

Extraordinary Council Meeting

24 May 2021

Minutes of Local Traffic Committee Meeting

Held electronically in April 2021

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY BY CHAIRPERSON

I acknowledge the Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora nation on whose country we are meeting today, and their elders past and present.

COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT

Clr Victor Macri	Councillor – Midjuburi-Marrickville Ward (Chair)
Bill Holliday	Representative for Jamie Parker MP, Member for Balmain
Kieren Ash	Representative for Ron Hoenig MP, Member for Heffron
Maryanne Duggan	Representative for Jodi McKay MP, Member for Strathfield
SC Tony Kenny	NSW Police - Inner West Police Area Command
Tanmila Samin Islam	Transport for NSW (TfNSW)

NON VOTING MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE

Colin Jones	Inner West Bicycle Coalition (IWBC)
Bob Moore	Inner West Bicycle Coalition (IWBC)
Adrian Prichard	Transit Systems – Inner West Bus Services
Clr Marghanita da Cruz	Councillor – Gulgadya-Leichhardt Ward (Alternative Chair)
Manod Wickramasinghe	IWC’s Traffic and Transport Planning Manager
George Tsaprounis	IWC’s Coordinator Traffic Engineering Services (South)
Sunny Jo	IWC’s Coordinator Traffic Engineering Services (North)
Christina Ip	IWC’s Business Administration Officer

VISITORS

Nil.

APOLOGIES:

Nil.

DISCLOSURES OF INTERESTS:

Nil.

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

The minutes of the Local Traffic Committee Meeting held in March 2021 were confirmed.

MATTERS ARISING FROM COUNCIL’S RESOLUTION OF MINUTES

The Local Traffic Committee recommendations of its meeting held in March 2021 were adopted at Council’s meeting held on 13 April 2021 with the following amendments:

a) That Council refer concerns on Item 7 Unwins Bridge Road, Way Street, Toyer Street & Collins Street, St Peters - Formalising Parking Restrictions around Tempe High School (Midjuburi - Marrickville Ward/ Heffron Electorate/ Inner West PAC) by residents in Toyer Street back to the Local Traffic Committee to amend point 5 to a ‘10 metre No Stopping’ on the Northern side of Toyer Street east of Collins Street and delete point 6;

b) That Item 9 Balmain East Precinct Parking Study (Baludarri-Balmain Ward/Balmain Electorate/Leichhardt PAC) be deferred pending a briefing for Balmain ward councillors; and

c) That Item 3 Detailed works (Traffic & Parking) in Trafalgar Street, Petersham - RSL Petersham Development - DA201800173 & Implementation of the Regional Bicycle Route 7 (RR7) (Stanmore Ward-Damun/Newton Electorate/Inner West PAC) go back to the LTC for further review.

EMAIL CONFIRMATION OF OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION:

The representative for NSW Police – Inner West supported the Officer’s recommendations for the items in their PAC.

The Transit Systems representative supported all the Officer’s recommendations.

LTC0421(1) Item 1 Tempe South Final Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) Study (Midjuburi-Marrickville Ward/Heffron Electorate/Inner West PAC)

SUMMARY

After the Public Exhibition of the draft Tempe South Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) study, Council has collated and assessed community feedback and revised the final recommendations as outlined in Attachment 1.

The draft report underwent a 28 day public exhibition during November 2020 and January 2021, with letters sent to residents and businesses in the study area inviting to visit the Your Say Inner West project page to see the draft report, proposed concept plans, and provide feedback via an online survey. Comments were also accepted and received through email and post.

Amongst the responses included resident groups from Union Street and Smith Street. Additional submissions from businesses were also received. In general, most submissions indicated some preference to the proposed treatments, with the exception from Union Street where residents opposed both options proposed for the street, and Tramway Street where there was opposition to the contrasting pavements.

Having considered the submissions, a review was undertaken for a ‘No Entry’ treatment from Smith Street to Union Street at Princess Highway traffic signals, a shared zone treatment in Union Street and a partial road closure in Brooklyn Street. Further consultation for these treatments is required.

Generally, the remaining treatments was supported by the community, and these are outlined in Appendix E: Engagement Outcomes Report.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT:

1. The final Tempe South Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) Study and proposed treatments be noted;

2. The recommended treatments as outlined in Attachment 2 be adopted excluding proposals at Union Street and Brooklyn Street;

3. Further consultation be undertaken for a partial road closure at Brooklyn Street at Princess Highway, a ‘Shared Zone’ in Union Street, ‘No Entry from Smith Street’, ‘Left and Right Only’ restriction at the entrance of Union Street at Princess Highway and Smith Street traffic signals;

4. After a 12 month period following the issue of an Occupation Certificate for the Bunnings Development at 728-750 Princess Highway, a LATM review be undertaken by Council and reported back to the Traffic Committee; and

5. It be noted that Council is separately investigating the provision of traffic signals at the Bunnings exit driveway at Princess Highway.

DISCUSSION

The TfNSW representative stated that:

· The partial road closure from Princes Highway onto Brooklyn Street will need TfNSW approval. The proposed road closure will result in more traffic on Union Street, which will impact the safe operation of a Shared Zone.

· Restricting through movements from Smith Street onto Union Street will leave motorists almost no option to enter Union Street or lead to a very significant detour and may not be supported by TfNSW. Further investigations will be required.

The Member for Heffron requested that the item be deferred until a determination regarding the signalised exit from Bunnings is received from the Minister for Transport.

The Committee members supported the deferral proposed by the Member for Heffron.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT the final Tempe South Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) Study and proposed treatments be deferred until a determination regarding the signalised exit from Bunnings is received from the Minister for Transport.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 2 Garden Street, Marrickville – Sydney Metro SSJ - Notice of a Temporary Full Road Closure for a 4 day period to undertake restoration work (Midjuburi – Marrickville Ward / Newtown Electorate / Inner West PAC)

SUMMARY

Council has received notice from Sydney Metro SSJ Group for the temporary full road closure of Garden Street, between Shirlow Street and road end, Marrickville for a 4 day period between the dates of 30 April and 3 May 2021 (contingency period of 2 weeks to 17 May 2021) in order to carry out restoration work on Garden Street. It is recommended that the proposed temporary full road closure be approved, subject to the conditions outlined in this report.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the proposed temporary full road closure of Garden Street, between Shirlow Street and road end, Marrickville for a 4 day period between the dates of 30 April and 3 May 2021 (contingency period of 2 weeks to 17 May 2021) be approved for the purpose of restoration work on Garden Street subject to, but not limited to, the following conditions:

1. A Road Occupancy License be obtained by the applicant from TMC;

2. All affected residents and businesses, including the NSW Police Area Commander, Fire & Rescue NSW and the NSW Ambulance Services be notified in writing, by the applicant, of the proposed temporary full road closure at least 7 days in advance of the closure with the applicant making reasonable provision for stakeholders; and

3. The occupation of the road carriageway must not occur until the road has been physically closed.

DISCUSSION

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT the proposed temporary full road closure of Garden Street, between Shirlow Street and road end, Marrickville for a 4 day period between the dates of 30 April and 3 May 2021 (contingency period of 2 weeks to 17 May 2021) be approved for the purpose of restoration work on Garden Street subject to, but not limited to, the following conditions:

1. A Road Occupancy License be obtained by the applicant from TMC;

3. The occupation of the road carriageway must not occur until the road has been physically closed.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 3 Toothill Street Near Victoria Street, Lewisham - Pedestrian Safety Improvement Works – Design Plan 10163 (Damum - Stanmore Ward / Summer Hill Electorate/ Inner West PAC)

SUMMARY

Council has finalised a design plan for pedestrian safety improvement works in Toothill Street at Victoria Street, Lewisham. The proposed works will raise the existing pedestrian crossing to improve pedestrian and motorist safety and address concerns about pedestrian safety, particularly school children, and driver behaviour in the area.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the detailed design plan for the raising of the existing pedestrian crossing and new adjacent kerb ramps and associated signs and line markings in Toothill Street at Victoria Street, Lewisham (as per Plan No.10163) be APPROVED.

DISCUSSION

The IWBC representative requested bike symbols on Toothill Street and Victoria Street.

Clr da Cruz provided feedback from a resident who requested a zebra crossing across Victoria Street at Toothill Street. Council Officers stated that this request is outside of the scope of the current project and would need to be investigated separately.

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT the detailed design plan for the raising of the existing pedestrian crossing and new adjacent kerb ramps and associated signs and line markings in Toothill Street at Victoria Street, Lewisham (as per Plan No.10163) be APPROVED.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 4 Centennial Street, Marrickville – Temporary Road Closure for a Special Event at Henson Park – 2021 Beer, Footy and Food Festival on Saturday 24 July and Saturday 7 August 2021 (Midjuburi-Marrickville Ward /Summer Hill Electorate /Inner West LAC)

SUMMARY

A S68 Application has been received from the Music & Booze Company together with the Newtown Rugby League Football Club to hold the 2021 Beer, Footy and Food Festival between 10.00am and 10.00pm on Saturday, 24 July 2021 and Saturday, 7 August 2021 at Henson Park Oval. The event requires the temporary full road closure of Centennial Street, Marrickville between Sydenham Road and the entrance gate to Henson Park Oval. It is recommended that Council agree to the temporary full road closure subject to the applicant complying with the following conditions and obtaining concurrence from Transport for NSW (formally RMS) as the closure entails lane closures on Sydenham Road, Marrickville.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the proposed temporary full road closure of Centennial Street, Marrickville between Sydenham Road and the entrance to Henson Park & Marrickville & District Hardcourt Tennis Club car park, between 10.00am and 10.00pm on Saturday 24 July 2021 and Saturday 7 August 2021 (contingency period of one month to 4 September 2021) for the purpose of holding the ‘Beer, Footy and Food Festival 2021’ event be APPROVED, subject to the approval of the S68 Application and the applicant complying with, but not limited to, the following conditions:

1. A Road Occupancy License application be obtained by the applicant from the Transport Management Centre;

2. All affected residents and businesses, including NSW Police Local Area Commander, Transit Systems, Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW Ambulance Services, shall be notified in writing by the applicant of the proposed temporary road closure at least 7 days prior to the event, with the applicant making reasonable provision for residents and businesses;

3. The occupation of the road carriageway must not occur until the road has been physically closed; and

4. Subject to written concurrence from Transport for New South Wales.

DISCUSSION

It was noted that this is a Class 3 event.

The IWBC representative suggested a review be undertaken to address missing or inadequate bike facilities in the area, including pram ramps.

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT the proposed temporary full road closure of Centennial Street, Marrickville between Sydenham Road and the entrance to Henson Park & Marrickville & District Hardcourt Tennis Club car park, between 10.00am and 10.00pm on Saturday 24 July 2021 and Saturday 7 August 2021 (contingency period of one month to 4 September 2021) for the purpose of holding the ‘Beer, Footy and Food Festival 2021’ event be APPROVED, subject to the approval of the S68 Application and the applicant complying with, but not limited to, the following conditions:

1. A Road Occupancy License application be obtained by the applicant from the Transport Management Centre;

3. The occupation of the road carriageway must not occur until the road has been physically closed; and

4. Subject to written concurrence from Transport for New South Wales.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 5 Draft Inner West Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) - For Public Exhibition (All Wards / All Electorates / All PACS)

SUMMARY

Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS) identifies the need for a Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) as a key action. The PAMP study aims to:

· Provide a network of safe, convenient and connected pedestrian routes which will encourage the shift from car dependency to walking.

· Enhance the pedestrian network to allow all pedestrian to enjoy safe, convenient and coherent independent mobility.

The work consisted of reviewing existing policies and strategies, future land use, reviewing historical crash data, community submissions and auditing existing pedestrian routes condition of identified priority routes. An initial community survey was also undertaken to seek the community’s insight into being a pedestrian within the LGA. This led to the development of a draft Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP).

The Draft PAMP has been prepared by consultant; Bitzios Consulting. The full draft report is provided in Attachment 1.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT:

1. The Draft Inner West Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) report be received and noted; and

2. The draft report be placed on Public Exhibition, providing a minimum 28 days for community feedback and the results be reported back to the Local Traffic Committee and Council.

DISCUSSION

The TfNSW representative advised that the PAMP should not making recommendations for State road carriageways or at signals. If there are any recommendations, these are to be reviewed and agreed to by TfNSW. The TfNSW representative also stated that any proposals for constructions along the State road network or at traffic signals will need to be approved by TfNSW.

The IWBC representative suggested a review also be undertaken to address missing or inadequate bike facilities, including pram ramps.

The representative for the Member for Balmain commented that the pedestrian path north of the City West Link northern sound wall is not shown in the PAMP maps or listing. The representative stated that the pavement of the path, which connects Charles Street to James Street via Hubert Street and Francis Street, has been lifted by tree roots. The lifting of pavements makes pedestrian access dangerous at night and is no longer wheelchair accessible. The representative for the Member for Balmain also requested for vegetation to be cleared from the footpath along the northern side of the City West Link, between Timbrell Drive and the footbridge opposite Waratah Street, Haberfield.

Clr da Cruz stated that the blue-green grid routes and a number of pedestrian routes have been omitted from the PAMP. Council Officers advised that the PAMP focuses primarily on auditing existing routes rather than establishing significant new routes. The blue-green grid is being separately investigated by Council’s Urban Strategy Team and will establish a framework in which subsequent active transport planning will be carried out.

Additional footpath issues identified will be passed onto the relevant Council Officers for review.

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT:

1. The Draft Inner West Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) report be received and noted; and

2. The draft report be placed on Public Exhibition, providing a minimum 28 days for community feedback and the results be reported back to the Local Traffic Committee and Council.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 6 Traffic Assessment on the Ashfield Aquatic Centre (160-178 Elizabeth Street, Ashfield) (Gulgadya - Leichhardt Ward/Summer Hill Electorate/Burwood PAC)

SUMMARY

A Notice of Motion was raised at Council’s meeting held on 9 March 2021 reading as follows:

‘THAT as a matter of urgency, given the major impact the new Ashfield Pool is having on traffic, parking and safety, that this be referred to the Local Traffic Committee and be reported to an Ordinary Council meeting in May 2021.’

In response to the above, the following report accounts for the operation of the carparks associated with the new Ashfield Aquatic Centre, and the traffic flow, pedestrian and parking activity within the carparks and that of the adjacent roads as a result of the newly developed Ashfield Aquatic Centre.

Similarly, the report entails what measures have been incorporated and/or will be incorporated to address certain impacts on traffic, parking and safety. A Road Safety Audit will also be carried out to assess the measures incorporated and determine if further mitigating actions are required if necessary.

Traffic Committee approval is sought on regulatory measures on-road to support various actions required for improved operations and traffic safety around the Ashfield Aquatic Centre.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT:

1. The report be received and noted.

2. Double barrier (BB) centrelines be extended from the pedestrian crossing in Elizabeth Street (east of Etonville Parade) all the way to the signalised intersection of Elizabeth Street and Frederick Street, Ashfield.

3. ‘All Traffic Left’ and ‘No Right Turn’ be introduced at the Elizabeth Street driveway coming off the car park at the corner Frederick Street/Elizabeth.

4. ‘No Entry’ be placed at the Frederick Street driveway coming off the carpark at the corner of Fredrick Street/Elizabeth Street.

5. ‘No Parking’ be signposted around the dead end (turn around) area of Bastable Street as shown in Attachment 4.

DISCUSSION

Advice was provided to address concerns and questions raised by Clr a Cruz:

· How vehicles egressing carpark will access Frederick Street following the installation of a ‘Left Turn Only’ sign in the Frederick Street/Elizabeth Street carpark: Council Officers advised that drivers wishing to turn right could easily turn left and detour around the surrounding streets or elect to use the Bastable Street carpark.

· Request for a high pedestrian activity 30km/h speed limit for the area: TfNSW advised that the NSW Speed Zoning Guidelines currently only make provisions for 40km/h speed limits, which are provided for High Pedestrian Activity areas and Local Traffic areas, as well as school zones, where there is a need to protect vulnerable road users in accordance with the Guidelines. As such, TfNSW are not considering any additional 30km/h speed limits until such a time that the Guidelines recommend such speed limits. Council Officers also advised that Elizabeth Street (between Frederick Street and Edwin Street North) has been included in Council’s request to TfNSW for a 40km/h speed limit on local roads.

· What consultation was undertaken with schools/community/clubs/pool operations: Council Officers advised that the proposal was developed in consultation with the pool management and relevant project managers and that further notification of changes will be undertaken prior to implementation.

· Request for ‘rear to kerb’ parking in carparks: Council Officers advised that ‘rear to kerb’ parking restrictions are not common in carparks particularly where access to rear vehicle storage is desirable. The slow speed environment of carparks and limited vehicle movements allow both ‘rear to kerb’ and ‘front to kerb’ parking to occur safely. The pathways provided and safety concerns will be further reviewed during the Road Safety Audit process.

· Request to open the outdoor area of the creche to allow people to access the pool from the carpark: Council Officers advised this feedback can be passed onto the relevant project managers/pool managers. However, it was noted that the access gates to the outdoor space/creche are in place for emergency egress only and general access cannot be provided due to child protection requirements.

Clr da Cruz also raised concerns with the loss of landscaping outside the ACC and how that would affect temperatures in the outdoor area of the creche and noted that there is very little bicycle parking provided on site.

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT:

1. The report be received and noted.

3. ‘All Traffic Left’ and ‘No Right Turn’ be introduced at the Elizabeth Street driveway coming off the car park at the corner Frederick Street/Elizabeth.

4. ‘No Entry’ be placed at the Frederick Street driveway coming off the carpark at the corner of Fredrick Street/Elizabeth Street.

5. ‘No Parking’ be signposted around the dead end (turn around) area of Bastable Street as shown in Attachment 4.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 7 168 Norton Street (between Carlisle Street and Maccauley Street), Leichhardt - Road Occupancy (Gulgadga - Leichhardt/ Balmain Electorate/ Leichhardt PAC)

SUMMARY

Council has received an application from Growth Built Pty Ltd for approval of a temporary full road closure of Norton Street (in front of 168 Norton Street), between Carlisle Street and Macauley Street, Leichhardt from 9:00pm Wednesday, 2 June to 5:00am Thursday, 3 June 2021 (with a contingency period of four weeks) for dismantling of a tower crane at 168 Norton Street, Leichhardt.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the proposed temporary full road closure of Norton Street, between Carlisle Street and Macauley Street, Leichhardt from 9:00pm Wednesday, 2 June 2021 to 5:00am Thursday, 3 June 2021 (with a contingency period of four weeks – only between Sundays and Wednesdays) be approved for dismantling of a tower crane at 168 Norton Street, Leichhardt subject to, but not limited to, the following conditions:

1. A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) for the attached Traffic Control Plan (TCP) be submitted to TfNSW prior to the start of works;

2. A Road Occupancy License be obtained by the applicant from the Transport Management Centre;

3. All affected residents and businesses, including, Transit Systems, STA, NSW Police Area Command, Fire & Rescue NSW and the NSW Ambulance Services be notified in writing, by the applicant, of the proposed temporary full road closure at least 7 days in advance of the closure with the applicant making reasonable provision for stakeholders; and

4. The occupation of the road carriageway must not occur until the road has been physically closed.

DISCUSSION

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT the proposed temporary full road closure of Norton Street, between Carlisle Street and Macauley Street, Leichhardt from 9:00pm Wednesday, 2 June 2021 to 5:00am Thursday, 3 June 2021 (with a contingency period of four weeks – only between Sundays and Wednesdays) be approved for dismantling of a tower crane at 168 Norton Street, Leichhardt subject to, but not limited to, the following conditions:

1. A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) for the attached Traffic Control Plan (TCP) be submitted to TfNSW prior to the start of works;

2. A Road Occupancy License be obtained by the applicant from the Transport Management Centre;

4. The occupation of the road carriageway must not occur until the road has been physically closed.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 8 Sydney Metro West, Power Enabling Works - Full Road Closures (Baludarri-Balmain Ward/Balmain Electorate/Leichhardt PAC)

SUMMARY

Council has received an application from Quickway Constructions for approval of temporary full road closures at various locations and stages in Rozelle, as part of the Sydney Metro West Power Enabling Works. This approval is for the overarching road closures as part of CTMP 1 (Manning Street to Darling Street), CTMP 2 (Darling Street), CTMP 3 (Merton St to Mullens Street) and CTMP 4 (Mullens St to The Bays Station).

The road closures start on 31 May 2021 and last road closures end on 9 January 2022 (with a contingency period of 2 weeks for all closures) for civil construction works, trenching, conduit installation, cable pulling, restorations and associated works.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the proposed temporary full road closures as part of the Sydney Metro West, Power Enabling Works in Rozelle from starting on 31 May 2021 to 9 January 2022 (with a contingency period of two weeks for each stage) be approved for civil construction works, trenching, conduit installation, cable pulling, restorations and associated works:

1. A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) for the attached Traffic Control Plan (TCP) be submitted to TfNSW prior to the start of works;

2. A Road Occupancy License be obtained by the applicant from the Transport Management Centre;

4. The occupation of the road carriageway must not occur until the road has been physically closed.

DISCUSSION

The TfNSW representative advised that the applicant should send the CTMP to TfNSW Sydney West Metro Network Integration team for review. The representative also advised that the ROLs and relevant approvals for closures of Darling Street, Victoria Road and any impact to traffic signals must be attained from the Transport Management Centre and not CJP.

The IWBC representative requested making allowances to cyclists to get through road closures including detour signage as the road works will affect a number of local bicycle routes. The new Australian Standards require that more attention be given to cycling through road works. Council Officers contacted Sydney Metro who advised that as the OCTMP is an over-arching, principles document, it does not contain the detail of how cyclists would be redirected. Sydney Metro stated that specific details addressing this concern will be provided in the CTMPs for each area, which will be provided to Council for review and approval.

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT the proposed temporary full road closures as part of the Sydney Metro West, Power Enabling Works in Rozelle from starting on 31 May 2021 to 9 January 2022 (with a contingency period of two weeks for each stage) be approved for civil construction works, trenching, conduit installation, cable pulling, restorations and associated works:

1. A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) for the attached Traffic Control Plan (TCP) be submitted to TfNSW prior to the start of works;

2. A Road Occupancy License be obtained by the applicant from the Transport Management Centre;

4. The occupation of the road carriageway must not occur until the road has been physically closed.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 9 Eaton Street, Balmain - Disabled Parking Zone (Baludarri - Balmain Ward/ Balmain Electorate/ Leichhardt PAC)

SUMMARY

Council has received requests to review the existing part-time ‘Disabled Parking’ zone in Eaton Street, Balmain to better service users of the space.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the existing part time ‘Disabled Parking’/ ‘P10min’/ ‘4P ticket’ zone on the western side of Eaton Street, north of Darvall Street, Balmain, be converted to a full time ‘Disabled Parking’ zone.

DISCUSSION

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 10 South Avenue, Petersham - Extension of 'No Parking' restrictions due to width of roadway (Damun - Stanmore Ward/ Newtown Electorate/ Inner West PAC)

SUMMARY

A resident of Searl Street, Petersham (with rear lane access on South Avenue) raised concerns of vehicular access into and out of South Avenue, Petersham when vehicles are legally parked in South Avenue, immediate west of existing ‘No Parking’ area alongside boundary of Property No. 2 South Avenue, Petersham.

Surrounding residents have been notified of the proposal to extend the current ‘No Parking’ restrictions an additional 5 metres west along the northern side of South Avenue to attempt to remove a squeeze point thus improve vehicular access into South Avenue.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the existing full-time ‘No Parking’ restrictions on the northern side of South Avenue, Petersham be extended 5 metres west, along the frontage of Property No. 2 South Avenue, Petersham.

DISCUSSION

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT the existing full-time ‘No Parking’ restrictions on the northern side of South Avenue, Petersham be extended 5 metres west, along the frontage of Property No. 2 South Avenue, Petersham.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 11 Edgeware Road, Newtown between Wells & Darley Street - Proposed extension of Permit Parking Area M14
(Damun - Stanmore Ward/ Newtown Electorate/ Inner West PAC)

SUMMARY

Following representations to Council, an extension of the existing M14 permit parking restrictions was proposed to achieve consistent parking management in the area. The proposal was distributed to residents along Edgeware Road, Newtown between Wells Street and Darley Street for comment. Currently, M14 permit parking restrictions exist on Darley Street, Wells Street, Lord Street and Edgeware Road between Darley Street and Lord Street.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the ‘2P 8am – 10pm Permit Holders Excepted Area M14’ parking restrictions in Wells Street and Darley Street be extended to the eastern side of Edgeware Road, Newtown between Wells Street and Darley Street to be consistent with the adjoining streets.

DISCUSSION

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 12 Piper Street and White Street, Lilyfield - Proposed 'No Stopping' restrictions (Baludarri-Balmain Ward/ Balmain Electorate/ Leichhardt PAC)

SUMMARY

Council has received concerns from residents regarding vehicles obstructing sight lines and manoeuvring space by parking too close to the intersection of Piper Street and White Street, Lilyfield. An investigation has now been completed and is presented in this report.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the following statutory restrictions be signposted:

1. 10m ‘No Stopping’ zone on the western side of White Street, north of Piper Street;

2. 10m ‘No Stopping’ zone on the northern side of Piper Street, west of White Street.

3. 10m ‘No Stopping’ zone on the northern side of Piper Street, east of White Street.

DISCUSSION

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT the following statutory restrictions be signposted:

1. 10m ‘No Stopping’ zone on the western side of White Street, north of Piper Street;

2. 10m ‘No Stopping’ zone on the northern side of Piper Street, west of White Street.

3. 10m ‘No Stopping’ zone on the northern side of Piper Street, east of White Street.

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 13 Proposed Landscaping Works - Railway Parade, Annandale (Baludarri-Balmain Ward/ Balmain Electorate/ Leichhardt PAC)

SUMMARY

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) are proposing to convert ten (10) existing parking spaces on the grassed area of Railway Parade, Annandale (opposite to properties between No.70-72 and No.62 Railway Parade) into a landscaped area. Existing parking restrictions at this location are ‘No Parking 7am-7pm vehicles under 4.5t GVM excepted’ and it is proposed to be changed to ‘No Parking’ restrictions as part of this initiative to plant trees to allow for a visual screening to the new Whites Creek Link bridge. Consultation undertaken indicated strong support for the removal of parking.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT the existing ten (10) angle parking spaces on the northern side of Railway Parade between Whites Creek and Railway Parade (opposite properties between No.70-72 and No.62 Railway Parade) be converted from ‘No Parking 7am-7pm vehicles under 4.5t GVM excepted’ to ‘No Parking’ restrictions.

DISCUSSION

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

For motion: Unanimous

LTC0421(1) Item 14 Draft Car Share Policy (All Wards / All Electorates / All PACs)

SUMMARY

At its meeting on Tuesday 9 March 2021, Council endorsed the public exhibition of a proposed Car Share policy for the Inner West. The draft Policy is now available for comment via Council’s website.

The policy outlines procedures and criteria for assessing new applications for car share parking on public streets or in council car parks. Consultation with car share companies, relevant staff and some community has been carried out throughout development of the draft policy.

Officer’s Recommendation

THAT this report be received and noted.

DISCUSSION

The Committee members agreed with the Officer’s recommendation.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

THAT this report be received and noted.

For motion: Unanimous

General Business

LTC0421 Item 15 Parking and traffic management in The Boulevarde, Dulwich Hill

A resident of The Boulevarde has requested, through Clr Macri, for:

· 2P Resident Parking to be investigated again for The Boulevard, between Eltham Street and Piggott Street, due to parking being utilised by staff and students from Christian Brothers High School;

· centre road lines marked on The Boulevarde to prevent drivers travelling on the wrong side of the road when manoeuvring through the curves in the road; and

· installation of traffic calming devices on The Boulevarde to prevent speeding.

Council Officers will investigate these requests.

LTC0421 Item 16 Request for ‘No Stopping’ or ‘No Parking’ signage on Arthur Street, Marrickville

A request has been received from a resident of Livingstone Road, through Clr Macri, for ‘No Stopping’ or ‘No Parking’ signage to be installed on Arthur Street at the corner of the unnamed laneway. The resident stated that vehicles park illegally and encroach the entry of the unnamed laneway from Arthur Street, limiting sightlines for drivers entering and exiting the laneway and requiring numerous reversing manoeuvres to enter the laneway to access garages. Council Officers will investigate this request.

LTC0421 Item 17 Traffic management in Styles Street, Leichhardt

A resident of Styles Street, Leichhardt, has raised concern about pollution and noise levels caused by increased general traffic and heavy vehicles in the street. The resident has requested, through Clr da Cruz, that traffic management in Styles Street be investigated.

LTC0421 Item 18 Resurfacing of Lilyfield Road, Lilyfield

The IWBC representative requested that Lilyfield Road be resurfaced, particularly the section east of Catherine Street. This matter was raised about a year ago after WestConnex works for the Rozelle Interchange was completed on the road, however action has not yet been taken. Council Officers will pass this request onto the appropriate authority.

This concluded the business of the meeting.

Extraordinary Council Meeting

24 May 2021

Item No: C0521(2) Item 4

Subject: Greenway Project Delivery and Engagement

Council at its meeting on 11 May 2021 resolved that the matter be deferred to the meeting to be held on 24 May 2021.

Prepared By: Cathy Edwards-Davis - Director Infrastructure

Authorised By: Elizabeth Richardson - Chief Operating Officer, Director Development and Recreation

RECOMMENDATION

THAT:

1. The Mayor send a letter to each of the Greenway Steering Committee members thanking them for their commitment and contributions to the Greenway project.

2. Council note the community engagement which will be undertaken for the delivery of the Greenway project into the future.

DISCUSSION

At the meeting on the 9 March 2021, Council resolved to receive a report on the Greenway Steering Committee and a dedicated Greenway Officer.

The Greenway is an integrated ecological and active transport route that follows the light rail line from the Cooks River to Iron Cove. It provides a variety of recreation opportunities and incorporates local places for culture and art.

Greenway Inception and Planning

The Greenway has been evolving over the last twenty plus years and had its genesis in the 1990s. At this time, local environmental advocates began working on bushcare sites within the rail corridor and conceptualised the idea of an off-road trail for walking and riding within the rail corridor, plus a wildlife corridor connecting the two important waterways, the Cooks River and the Iron Cove.

At its conception, the Greenway spanned four Councils, Ashfield, Canterbury, Leichhardt and Marrickville. In 2002, the Councils agreed in principle to support the Greenway Vision.

During the inception and planning, the Greenway Steering Committee was an important community group which spanned the then four participating Councils. The Steering Committee was formed to develop the concept of the Greenway. The Steering Committee was able to effectively partner with the Councils and had fantastic success at achieving some initial funding including a Metropolitan Greenway Program to create a coordination strategy. Then in 2010, the Greenway Urban Sustainability Project was funded by $1.8m from the NSW Environmental Trust grant for a three year period.

It is important at this time to acknowledge the enormous contribution of this Steering Committee to date.

Greenway Delivery

The amalgamated Inner West Council now covers the great majority of the Greenway project. Only a small section is within the City of Canterbury Bankstown LGA. Further, Council has now entered a new phase of the Greenway project, that is, the delivery phase. $25.7 million in state and local government funding has now been secured to complete the high priority components of the Greenway. The needs of the project have now evolved.

The key achievements from the delivery phase of the Greenway include the following:

· Securing $25.7m in funding.

· Development of a Greenway Masterplan in 2018.

· Development of Greenway Concept Plans in 2019 / 2020.

· Delivery of the Richard Murden Reserve Path and Lighting Upgrade in 2020, including a new 3.5m wide shared path between Marion Street and the City West Link.

· Delivery of the Lang Road Pedestrian Bridge over the Cooks River in 2020 by the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council.

· On road works are underway in local streets to create safer connections along the route. We expect these to be completed in June 2021.

· Construction on the Dobroyd Seawall has commenced, and we anticipate works will be completed in July 2021.

· Development and public exhibition of the Review of Environmental Factors for works in the light rail corridor.

· In principle agreement from Sydney Water for works in the light rail corridor.

· Council is currently liaising with TfNSW and Sydney Metro regarding licencing and ownership of works in the rail corridor.

· The EOI for potential contractors for the in-corridor works has been completed and contractors have been shortlisted.

· The sale of 43 Hercules Street, Dulwich Hill has been settled.

· Detailed designs for the High Voltage Electricity works have been submitted to Sydney Trains for approval, with construction anticipated from late 2021.

· Detailed designs for the Bay Run and the Lilyfield Road Bridge are underway, with construction anticipated from early 2022.

· Development of a draft public art strategy for the Greenway, which sets out the proposed locations, form and themes of artwork.

Engagement During the Delivery Stage

The Greenway is just one project within Council’s business as usual delivery of the capital works program. There are no other dedicated Committees for the other substantial infrastructure projects that Council is delivering, e.g. the Parramatta Road Urban Area Improvement Program.

The Greenway Steering Committee is a community group rather than a committee of Council. It is suggested that the Greenway Steering Committee continue as a community group without representation from Council. A similar example would be the Friends of Callan Park. Council will continue to engage with the Greenway Steering Committee, as with other relevant stakeholders, as required through the delivery of the project.

Broad community engagement was undertaken on the Greenway through the Masterplan and Concept Design processes. This engagement incorporated community drop-in sessions, stakeholder workshops, community newsletters, a web-based survey on Council’s Your Say Inner West. Council also had a social pinpoint site which contained an interactive map of the masterplan. The draft Masterplan attracted 3,269 visitors to the website and around 700 responses were provided through all of the engagement platforms including 206 responses through the Your Say website and 480 written response through the social pinpoint interactive map.

Council’s adopted Community Engagement Framework, outlines that “the community is everyone who lives, works, plays, studies, conducts business, owns property, visits or uses the services, facilities and public spaces of the Inner West.” The Greenway covers a large geographic area and encompasses multiple objectives including active transport, ecology, recreation and art. As such, the community relevant to the Greenway is broad in nature and they cover many different areas of interest. One of the principles outlined in the Framework is one of inclusion, “As many relevant people as possible, who have an interest in or will be affected by a decision, are identified and invited to participate. This is to avoid interest group capture or single issue hijack.” Council will continue to engage with all stakeholders on the Greenway project through a variety of methodologies, including the following:

· Ongoing web-based engagement and surveys on Council’s “Your Say Inner West”.

· Regular newsletter updates to the community, distributed to the 12,000 properties within 400m of the Greenway.

· Community stakeholder engagement and workshop sessions, to discuss specific local issues, where needed.

· Notification letters to residents immediately impacted by upcoming construction works.

· Council also has ongoing engagement with the community through a wide range of advisory committees including our Bicycle working group, Transport Advisory Committee. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee and Arts and Culture Advisory Committee. Members of these are engaged around a range of Greenway initiatives and activations at relevant times.

· Council is in the process of integrating content from the Greenway website to Council’s corporate site and will continue to promote and highlight Greenway delivery and activations through our corporate communication channels

· Greenway activations and initiatives are integrated across Council’s teams. For example Council hosted Edge 2021: Art camp on the Greenway from 16 April – 9 May which activated the place for 24 days with diverse art projects

Staff Resources

Council currently has the following resources allocated to the Greenway project:

· Project Manager Greenway Delivery

· Greenway Project Engineer

· Greenway Engagement Officer

All of the above positions are funded by capitalising their time to the project.

The Project Manager Greenway Delivery position is filled. The other two positions are currently vacant.

The purpose of the Greenway Engagement Officer is to coordinate communications with the community and stakeholders including state agencies in the lead up to and during construction. This Greenway Engagement Officer will be primarily responsible to undertake the community engagement as outlined above.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The staff resources outlined above are funded by capitalising their time to the project.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil.

Extraordinary Council Meeting

24 May 2021

Item No: C0521(2) Item 8

Subject: Notice of Motion: Parliamentary Report into Stronger Communities Tied Grants Round

Council at its meeting on 11 May 2021 resolved that the matter be deferred to the meeting to be held on 24 May 2021.

From: The Mayor, Councillor Darcy Byrne

Motion:

THAT Council:

1. Notes the findings of the First Report from the Inquiry by the NSW Parliament’s Public Accountability Committee into Integrity, efficacy and value for money of NSW Government grant programs (attachment 1);

2. Endorses the comments of Mr David Shoebridge MLC, contained in the Chair’s foreword to the report regarding the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round:

“The Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round was an alarming example of the lack of transparency and accountability in NSW Government grant programs. The fund was originally established to assist councils created from the NSW Government's failed council amalgamations, but morphed into a brazen pork-barrel scheme. Ultimately the Coalition designed a scheme with so few checks and balances that $252 million of public money was handed out on a purely political basis to sort out the Coalition’s political problems, to gain an advantage in the 2019 state election and to punish any council that had objected to being forcibly merged.”

3. Notes the full list of recommendations in the committee’s report (attachment 2)

4. Write to all NSW Members of Parliament calling on them to implement the Inquiry’s recommendations including:

a) Recommendation 5 - That the NSW Government ensure all grant programs have, as an absolute minimum, the following legally binding and mandatory elements:

· a designated decision-maker

· eligibility criteria

· a process for identifying and assessing proposed projects against those criteria

· program guidelines that are clear, detailed and publicly available.

b) Recommendation 7 - That the Legislative Council refer its concerns regarding the inappropriate design and maladministration of the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round to the Audit Office of NSW, along with this report and committee transcripts of evidence for investigation.

c) Recommendation 8 - That the Legislative Council refer its concerns regarding the inappropriate design and maladministration of the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, along with this report and committee transcripts of evidence for investigation.

d) Recommendation 9 - That the Legislative Council send a message to the Legislative Assembly to establish a Joint Select Committee to inquire into and report on the NSW budget process and parliamentary oversight.

5. Writes to the NSW Premier, Treasurer and Local Government Minister demanding that that an additional round of grant funding for community infrastructure funding be opened by the government for Councils such as the Inner West that were improperly prevented from accessing the Stronger Communities Fund – Tied Grants program;

6. Commit to ongoing advocacy through all of Council’s communications channels to inform our community about the findings and recommendations of the Parliamentary Inquiry;

7. Thank the members of the Committee for their diligence in uncovering the full scope of the pork barrelling that occurred throughout the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round; and

8. Prepare a list of priority infrastructure projects, across all five wards of Inner West Council, which could be funded were the NSW Government to make an additional round of funding available to councils that were prevented from applying for the tied grants round, noting that the Inner West would have received $24 million if the funds had been distributed fairly on a per capita basis to amalgamated Councils.

Background

The First Report from the Inquiry by the NSW Parliament’s Public Accountability Committee into Integrity, efficacy and value for money of NSW Government grant programs was tabled with the Clerk of the Parliaments on 30 March 2021.

The Inquiry’s investigations focused on the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round and uncovered a number of shocking and damning findings including:

- Finding 1

That the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round was a clear abuse of the grants process. It was an improper allocation of public money and falls well short of principles of proper grants administration and public expectations.

- Finding 2

That, of the $252 million allocated in the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round, 95 per cent, which is a total of $241 million, was allocated to councils in Coalition-held or marginal electorates.

- Finding 3

That the grant of $90 million to Hornsby Shire Council went against the original intent of the Stronger Communities Fund, was made without any due process or merit assessment, and was a misuse of public money by the NSW Government for a political purpose unrelated to the objects of the grants scheme.

- Finding 4

That the revised guidelines for the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round were ambiguous and did not identify with enough specificity the designated decision-maker or how projects would be identified or approved.

- Finding 5

That the guidelines for the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round were deliberately devised to accommodate the pork-barrelling scheme in order to:

· partially resolve certain legal disputes involving Hornsby Shire Council and Parramatta City Council

· win favour with the public in Coalition and marginal seats ahead of the 2019 state election

· punish local councils that had objected to forced amalgamation proposals.

In November 2020, the NSW Premier admitted publicly that the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round involved pork barrelling, stating;

“Governments in all positions make commitments to the community in order to curry favour. I think that's part of the political process whether we like it or not.

The term pork barrelling is common parlance ... and it's not something that I know that the community is comfortable with and if that's the accusation made on this occasion ... well then I'm happy to accept that commentary.

If the accusation is that the government favoured certain areas, well that's an accusation we wear."

In giving evidence to the Inquiry, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro also confirmed pork barrelling had occurred, stating: “What we call pork-barrelling is investment. In one way, when you think about it, at every single election that every party goes to we make commitments. You want to call that pork-barrelling, you want to call that buying votes, that it what the elections are for.”

While the Inquiry was being held, former NSW auditor-general Tony Harris publicly called for the resignation of the Premier following revelations her office had shredded working advice notes regarding the Stronger Communities Fund tied grants round, stating: "I allege that the shredding those documents is unlawful, and so when you package everything up together, it's time for her to go," he said.

The unlawfulness of this action was later confirmed by the NSW State Archives and Records Authority on 22 January 2021.

The Inquiry also received submissions and testimony from The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The report’s summary of these contributions include;

2.2 The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) noted that generally, public money should be spent according to the 'three Es' of public sector administration and decision-making – efficiently, effectively and economically. The Commonwealth Grant Rules and Guidelines has introduced a fourth concept – that money must be managed ethically - and ICAC noted its support for ethics being included as a foundational organising principle of grants administration.

2.5 ICAC noted that principles of transparency, accountability and fairness should be observed in all grant programs as they all involve public money or asset.

2.43 ICAC also submitted that the following situations could give rise to a serious breach of public trust in the administration of grant programs, depending on the specific circumstances:

· designing eligibility and selection criteria to favour a particular applicant at the expense of the public interest

· intentionally misapplying nominated selection criteria, or directing a public servant to do so

· encouraging a public official to create false or incomplete records or to conceal the involvement of an elected official, or any other wilful suppression of grants scheme information

· directing or urging a public servant to make a decision preferred by the Minister if the Minister is not the appointed decision-maker

· deliberately failing to act on a reasonable suspicion of fraud, misappropriation or misuse of grant funds

· any action that leads to an unsuccessful applicant receiving false information about why it was unsuccessful.

2.44 Mr Hall stated that ministerial discretion may not be exercised to 'negate or rewrite the terms and/or the operation' of an established grants scheme.70 If a grant program is designed so that proposed projects are assessed according to specified eligibility and selection criteria, a minister may not permissibly approve grants that do not meet the required criteria.71 Similarly, ministerial intervention 'to skew or alter a result that has gone through a prescribed selection process', if it is done to enhance the prospects of electoral success, may be an illegitimate use of power.

2.45 In this context, Mr Hall said that 'pork-barrelling' may constitute corrupt conduct where a minister overrides an established grant program decision-making process to gain an electoral advantage. He stated (emphasis added): Whilst every case necessarily turns on its own factual circumstances, if a minister intervenes and overrides a government grant program or scheme, including in particular in relation to the decision-making processes by which successful applicants are determined, and intentionally does so for the purposes of possible electoral advantage, such intervention could constitute corrupt conduct under the provisions of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988.

Attachment 1-

Attachment 2

Officer’s Comments:

Staff have no comment.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil.

Extraordinary Council Meeting

24 May 2021

Item No: C0521(2) Item 22

Subject: Notice of Motion: 50th Anniversary of Camp NSW

Council at its meeting on 11 May 2021 resolved that the matter be deferred to the meeting to be held on 24 May 2021.

From: The Mayor, Councillor Darcy Byrne

Motion:

THAT Council:

1. Notes that this year marks the 50th anniversary the founding of Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP Inc), one of the first gay and lesbian rights organisations in Australia;

2. Notes that the first formal meeting of CAMP Inc was held in St John’s church hall in Balmain; and

3. Receives a report on how it can best commemorate the founding of CAMP Inc. This report should look at whether Council can install a commemorative plaque at or close to St John’s Church in Balmain or at or close to 393 Darling Street, Balmain.

Background

Unlike the 1969 New York Stonewall Inn riots, Australia’s LGBTQIA+ history of emerging rights, didn’t begin at a bar, pub or inn, it began with a small group of courageous women and men. They appeared in two Australian newspaper articles, on 10 and 19 September 1970. John Ware and Christabel Poll announced the founding of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution – known as CAMP Inc, or CAMP NSW.

Fifty years ago, the foundation stone, so to speak, was laid for what today is called the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia when CAMP Inc was founded. The Campaign “lived” its entire life in the then Leichhardt Municipality now the Inner West Council area.

On 9 January 1971 about 90 lesbians, gay men and some heterosexual supporters met in St John’s church hall in Balmain for the first meeting of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution or CAMP Inc, Australia’s first homosexual rights organisation. Soon after Sydney’s CAMP Inc was establishing it became national with branches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth. The organisation’s name changed to CAMP NSW.

That same year, CAMP established its first clubrooms at 393 Darling Street, Balmain, a grand building, designed by colonial architect, Edmund Blacket, opposite the Balmain Police Station, the then Police Boys’ Club (now called PCYC) near the local RSL branch and next door to the Balmain Fire Station.

CAMP had its own journal CAMP Ink. The first issue was published in November 1970 and produced at the 393 Darling Street, Balmain clubrooms. The journal was for so many the only link they had with their “hidden” community. It was posted to CAMP members in plain brown wrappers to protect their identity and not “outing” them.

CAMP Inc organised, at its Balmain clubroom, the first ever 6 October 1971 demonstration of lesbians and homosexuals in Australia. At Liberal party headquarters in Ash Street, Sydney. It was the first “mass” coming out publicly in Australia of about 50-60 lesbians and homosexuals. This was the first time a group (for the time, 1971, a large one) of lesbians and homosexuals who were photographed publicly. And women/lesbians demonstrating about and supporting a male specific issue i.e. homosexual law reform.

In 1972 the ABC national TV’s Chequerboard program – today’s Australian Story – approached CAMP wanting to televise a social documentary about an openly lesbian and male homosexual couple. Sue Wills and Gaby Antolovich participated along with Peter “Bon” Bonsall-Boone and his partner Peter de Waal. Bon and Peter’s segment was filmed at their Balmain home, and CAMP’s Darling Street Balmain clubrooms. Bon and Peter became the first male couple to kiss on national TV in Australia. Consequently, Bon was sacked for coming out gay publicly and challenging a homophobic society.

On 13 April 1973, the first volunteer homosexual telephone help line – Phone-A-Friend – was officially launched at Bon and Peter’s Balmain home. Over the years, CAMP’s enduring entity has had various incarnations. But, 48 years on, it still exists – now called the Twenty10/Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service – supporting, counselling, assisting, enriching, and empowering the multi-faceted LGBTQIA+ community in many and varied ways.

Bon – who died in 2017, was posthumously – and Peter were awarded, a 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honour for extensive voluntary services to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Over the years CAMP NSW conducted numerous public education sessions, with, to name just a few: First Year Sydney University Medical Students; Police Cadets; Sydney’s Callan Park Psychiatric Nurses; Family Life Movement Counsellors; Family Court Counsellors, and the long list goes on.

From the mid-1970s until 1981 CAMP ran the first not-for-profit volunteer LGBBTQIA+ coffee-shop in Sydney. It was open most weeknights and a heaven for many in a vast commercial exploitative, alienating environment. When open there always was a volunteer on hand to welcome those who were living in their closets or new on the scene. Apart from the coffee-shop, Phone-A-Friend, a meeting room, and library were housed at the CAMP Centre at 33a Glebe Point, Glebe, in the than Leichhardt Municipality.

1975 International Women’s Year brought great join for CAMP NSW. It prepared a detailed submission at Glebe’s CAMP Centre and applied for a $30,000 Federal Government funding to conduct seminars and other women’s liberation activities. The overall aim was to highlight women being considered second-class citizens and female homosexuals doubly so. CAMP received a $4,000 grand – this was the first ever government grant to a lesbian/homosexual organisation – much to the disapproval of organisations such as the Country Women’s Association, but more so from religious institutions, organisations and groups.

The naming of the now world-famous Sydney Mardi Gras came about and was partly organised at a mid-1978 CAMP executive meeting, held at the CAMP Centre in Glebe. Margaret (Marg) McMann (Annandale resident in Leichhardt Municipality at the time) and Ron Austin were both CAMP executive members. Ron suggested: “Let’s have a night street party in Oxford Street.” Marg replied: “Ron, we’ll call it a Mardi Gras!”

During 1975/76 CAMP NSW’s political action group developed, at CAMP Centre, Glebe, a very detailed and far-sighted submission to the Royal Commission on Human Relationships. Michael Clohesy, CAMP’s secretary at the time, did a TV interview about CAMP’s submission. He was sacked from his Catholic teaching job. Subsequently, the NSW Catholic hierarchy attempted to stop CAMP from presenting its oral and written submission. Eventually the Royal Commission ruled that CAMP could and should be heard.

CAMP NSW initiated and held a tribunal on “Homosexuals and Discrimination” during November 1976. The tribunal’s public hearings took place at the Sir John Clancy Auditorium UNSW. Forty-four varying discrimination cases were presented to the Tribunal. Its findings became a starting point for introduction of anti-discrimination legislation.

I want to also acknowledge the contributions of long-term Balmain resident, Alexander “Lex” Watson, a founding CAMP member, who died in 2014. He was posthumously awarded a Queen’s Birthday Honour for his work as part of CAMP, the Gay Rights Lobby, and as the first president of ACON.

Since then, CAMP has had a hand in almost every major step progression for the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia, including the decriminalisation of male acts of homosexuality between consenting adults in 1984, and national marriage equality.

I want to offer my sincere thanks to every member of CAMP Inc. These individuals have made extraordinary personal sacrifices, in their work, their personal life and in the community to propel the LGBTQIA+ movement further, and open doors for others.

CAMP envisaged a future where lesbian and gay people would be able to walk proudly hand in hand in this city, head held high with pride, without fear of violence, discrimination, or hate. While we still have more to do, this vision has been realised.

Officer’s Comments:

Comment from Acting Director City Living:

It is proposed that the 50^th Anniversary of CAMP NSW be acknowledged by a commemorative heritage plague to be located between the Balmain Town Hall and the historic green house, which is across the road from 393 Darling Street Balmain.

The proposed location and plaque concept has been discussed with representatives from the Camp NSW who are in support of this plan.

The design, manufacture, and installation of the plaque can be covered by existing operational costs.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil.

Council meeting type	Date	Reason
Ordinary	9 February 2021
Extraordinary	23 February 2021	Harmonisation of Rates
Extraordinary	1 March 2021	Harmonisation of Rates
Ordinary	9 March 2021
Extraordinary	30 March 2021	Recruitment of Permanent General Manager
Ordinary	13 April 2021
Ordinary (adjourned)	20 April 2021	Continuation of Ordinary Meeting of 13 April 2021

1.⇩	IWC Investment Report - March 2021
2.⇩	IWC Economic & Investment Portfolio Commentary March 2021

Ward	Item
Baludarri (Balmain)	Sydney Metro West, Power Enabling Works - Full Road Closures
	Eaton Street, Balmain - Disabled Parking Zone
	Piper Street and White Street, Lilyfield - Proposed 'No Stopping' restrictions
	Proposed Landscaping Works - Railway Parade, Annandale
	Resurfacing of Lilyfield Road, Lilyfield
Gulgadya (Leichhardt)	Traffic Assessment on the Ashfield Aquatic Centre (160-178 Elizabeth Street, Ashfield)
	168 Norton Street (between Carlisle Street and Maccauley Street), Leichhardt - Road Occupancy
	Traffic management in Styles Street, Leichhardt
Midjuburi (Marrickville)	Tempe South Final Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) Study
	Garden Street, Marrickville – Sydney Metro SSJ - Notice of a Temporary Full Road Closure for a 4 day period to undertake restoration work
	Centennial Street, Marrickville – Temporary Road Closure for a Special Event at Henson Park – 2021 Beer, Footy and Food Festival on Saturday 24 July and Saturday 7 August 2021
	Request for ‘No Stopping’ or ‘No Parking’ signage on Arthur Street, Marrickville
Djarrawunang (Ashfield)	Parking and traffic management in The Boulevarde, Dulwich Hill
Damun (Stanmore)	Toothill Street Near Victoria Street, Lewisham - Pedestrian Safety Improvement Works – Design Plan 10163
	South Avenue, Petersham - Extension of 'No Parking' restrictions due to width of roadway
	Edgeware Road, Newtown between Wells & Darley Street - Proposed extension of Permit Parking Area M14
All Wards	Draft Inner West Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) - For Public Exhibition
	Draft Car Share Policy