Lane Cove Council’s Packed February 2022 Meeting Agenda – It will Take Hours!!

Update 22 February 2022:  Lane Cove Council February Meeting did take hours and the meeting closed at 11.01 pm.  ITC pulled up stumps about 5 minutes before the meeting closed.  We have noted below the outcome of the meeting (ie if the motion passed or failed)

The Lane Cove Council February Meeting Agenda is packed.

The Lane Cove Council Code Of Meeting Practice specifies that if business has not been completed by 11 pm, the meeting time may be extended by resolution ….  ITC doubts that the meeting will finish by 11 pm. The agenda includes several items that have been vigorously debated before by the last Council.

A meeting can only be extended past midnight by a unanimous resolution.

Have Your Say – Be Part of the Process

Residents can write to Councillors on any agenda item or issue. The email address that will reach all Councillors is: [email protected]

Listed below are the agenda items for the meeting.

Notices Of Motion

 Lane Cove North Neighbourhood Centre (Mayoral Minute)

This motion addresses the lack of local shopping and place amenities in Lane Cove North.

Lane Cove North does not have small-scale neighbourhood shops that are an inviting place to meet and gather, shop or dine.

The Council will be voting on a proposal for Council to approach the NSW Land and Housing Corporation and other landowners in the Mowbray Precinct to provide a local convenience store in future building designs.   Mayor Andrew Zbik moved a motion like this at a previous council meeting and was not successful – read more here.

MOTION PASSED

Notice of Motion – Creating a Renewable Energy Future in Lane Cove

This motion calls for Council to commit to facilitating options within the Lane Cove community to advance adopting initiatives to transition to renewable electricity generation to further expedite emissions reduction within the LGA.

MOTION PASSED

Notice of Motion – Creation of a St Leonards South Coordination Unit (SLCSU)

The St Leonards South Area (previously known as East Greenwich) will be the most developed area in the LGA in the next couple of years.

In 2021 the former Lane Cove Council Mayor Pam Palmer told the Sydney Morning Herald:

“The council needed to accommodate 3500 new dwellings by 2026 and “this was the most sensible place to look at for more development”.

There is a proposal to establish a St Leonards South Coordination Unit (SLSCU) to manage and coordinate the individual development projects within the St Leonards South Master Plan area and of projects adjacent to the St Leonards South Master Plan area.

You can read a background article on the number of new dwellings that will be built in St Leonards South here.

MOTION PASSED

Notice of Motion – Minute of Silence for Prayer or Reflection

There is a proposal to replace the prayer at the start of each Council meeting with a minute’s silence for individual silent prayer and reflection. This motion aims to ensure council meetings are inclusive and take into account the religious beliefs of all councillors, staff, and members of the public.

MOTION PASSED – HOWEVER, THE MOTION WAS TO PUT THE PROPOSAL OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN AFTER COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED COUNCIL WILL VOTE

Notice of Motion – Traffic at the intersection of Parklands, Epping and Longueville Roads

There is a proposal to investigate and report back to Lane Cove Council options of how best to stop drivers performing U-turns in the middle of Parklands Road at the intersection of Parklands Road and Landers Road.

MOTION PASSED

Notice of Motion – Deferral of Commencement of Process to Close Canberra Avenue

There is a proposal to defer the closure of Canberra Ave until the cumulative impacts of multiple development sites in the St Leonards Masterplan area have been assessed.

MOTION PASSED

Notice of Motion – Establishment of Sports Advisory Committee

The Lane Cove LGA has a large diversity of sporting clubs. Demand for sporting facilities and grounds increases significantly through increased participation rates and population increases, resulting in increased membership. The Council should establish an Advisory Committee to understand their needs and better plan the delivery of sporting facilities.

MOTION PASSED

Notice of Motion – Improving Community Collaboration and Communication

The first objective of this motion is to conduct a collaborative workshop with residents and community stakeholders on how Council can develop new techniques to collaborate with our community.

The second objective of this motion is to improve Council’s website and how it integrates with Council’s other communication channels to make it easier for residents to engage and seek information from our Council. Locals frequently contact In the Cove asking for Lane Cove Council information or contact details. One of the most significant issues is that the Council’s is not mobile optimised, and most websites are now accessed via a mobile or tablet.

MOTION PASSED

Notice of Motion – Bob Campbell Working Group – Additional Members

A proposal to consider including regular sports users of Bob Campbell Oval in the working group. For example, North Shore Cricket Club uses this ground, and they have not been consulted about its upgrade.

MOTION PASSED

Notice of Motion – St Leonards South Central Precinct Land Acquisition for Open Space Park

This motion seeks to prioritise the purchase of properties to create the central park between Park Road and Berry Road using one or more suitable funding sources, including other State and Federal Grants as part of the St Leonards South Central Precinct (SLSCP).

MOTION PASSED

Lane Cove Council Reports for Determination

Representation on Council Advisory Committees and Other External Organisations for 2022

Council currently operates various Advisory Committees and participates in other external organisations to provide a forum for discussion on broad local and regional issues among Council representatives, local agencies and community members.

The purpose of this report is to determine Councillor representation on these committees for the period ending September 2022 and commence a process by which community representatives can express an interest in joining Advisory Committees.

The Advisory Committees with Community Representatives 

Age Friendly Advisory Committee

Bushland Management Advisory Committee

Lane Cove Access and Inclusion Committee

Lane Cove Bicycle Advisory Committee

Lane Cove Festival Committee

Lane Cove Public Art Advisory Committee

Lane Cove Recreation Precinct Advisory Committee

Sustainability Advisory Committee

Advisory Committees without Community Representatives

Carisbrook Advisory Committee

Council Selection Committee

Internal Audit Committee

Publications Editorial Committee

Lane Cove Literary Awards Committee

Councillor appointments to External Organisations

Centrehouse Management Committee

Lane Cove Retirement Units Association Ltd Board

Northern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils – (NSROC)

NSW Public Libraries Association (Inc.)

Shorelink Committee

Willoughby/Ryde/Hunters Hill/Lane Cove District Bushfire Committee

MOTION AMENDED AND PASSED – CHANGES TO TRAFFIC COMMITTEE – READ MORE HERE

Infrastructure Contributions Reforms – Submissions

• • IPART Submission – Review of the Essential Works List Nexus Efficiency and Standardised Benchmark Costs
  • Council Submission to DPIE – Infrastructure Contributions Reform – December 2021

A Proposal to endorse Council’s submissions on infrastructure Contributions Reforms. Background information here.

MOTION PASSED

Traffic Committee – January 2022

The Council will be voting on recommendations that impact the following local roads.

 Burns Bay Road/Tambourine Bay Road Traffic Signals

Approval of new signage a ‘Buses Excepted’ for a Right Turn from Tambourine Bay Road to Burns Bay Road

Marshall Lane and Canberra Avenue, St Leonards

Approval of the partial closure of Marshall Lane and Canberra Avenue for construction of the St Leonards Over Rail Green Space and Canberra Avenue (North) shared zone works. The General Manager approved the above via delegation over the Christmas period.

• Lane Cove West Public School Proposal for parking Restrictions on surrounding streets:
• • Alder Avenue – Install ‘No Parking 2.30 pm-4 pm School Days’ on the northern side approximately 120 metres from Cullen Street.
  • Avalon Avenue – Install ‘No Parking 7.30am-9.30am, 2.30pm-4pm School Days’ on the eastern side.
  • Banksia Close – Install’ 2P 8.30 am-6 pm Mon-Fri’ to ‘No Parking 8 am-9.30 am, 2.30pm4pm School Days’ on the south side from Wood Street to Cullen Street;
  • Cullen Street – Install ‘No Stopping 7.30 am-9.30 am, 2.30 pm-4 pm School Days’ on the western side, South of School Crossing;
  • Hallam Street – Install No Stopping 3 pm-4 pm School Days’ on the south side of between Cullen and Henley Streets.
  • Henley Street – Install ‘No Stopping 3 pm-4 pm School Days’ between Cullen and Hallam Streets;
  • Wood Street – Install 2P 8.30 am-6 pm on the Eastern side and ‘No Stopping 3 am-12midday Sat’ and ‘No Parking 8 am-9.30 am, 2.30 pm-6 pm School Days’ on the west side of Wood Street.
  • Banksia Close/Cullen Street/Hallam Street intersection – Council undertake detailed design of the realignment of the Banksia Close/Cullen Street/Hallam Street Intersection.
• Landers Road, Lane Cove No Parking Garbage Collection Days
• 157 Longueville Road, Lane Cove No Parking Garbage Collection Days
• Eloora Street, Lane Cove West No Stopping 10m from the corner for garbage trucks
• Dunios Street, Longueville Proposal for Time Restricted parking east of Wilson Lane
• Murray Lane, Lane Cove North One-Way Option for discussion
• Review of NYE21 Traffic TCP Feedback from Rangers and Police

MOTION AMENDED AND PASSED – NO CHANGES TO PARKING AROUND LANE COVE WEST PUBLIC SCHOOL  – READ MORE HERE

Bob Campbell Oval – Proposed Delivery Program

Update on Council’s resolution made at the Extra-Ordinary Meeting on24 January regarding reviewing the Bob Campbell Oval Masterplan.

The proposed program for delivering the revised Master Plan incorporates community consultation through to awarding the contract. The program indicates a minimum of 49 weeks and a maximum of 71 weeks to reach the final milestone of awarding the tender for construction of the Master Plan. No indication of construction times has been included. Council will also terminate the contract to install an artificial turf field as per negotiated terms and undertake stabilisation works on the western cliff face at Bob Campbell oval.

The tender for the provision of Construction and Installation of Synthetic Sports fields and associated infrastructure at Bob Campbell Oval was awarded to Synergy Turf Manufacturing Pty Ltd for $3,293,692.33 ex GST. At the time, residents queried why there was such a rush to enter into a contract when there were several steps the Lane Cove Council needed to undertake before a final sign off could occur on the installation of the Synthetic Oval. Read background information here.

Lane Cove Council has prepared a confidential memo on the payout – once the payout has been finalised, Lane Cove Council should disclose the amount paid to terminate the contract.

MOTION PASSED

Proposed Rezoning Reforms

A proposal to authorise the General Manager to submit a response to the Discussion Paper provided by the State Government regarding changes being proposed to the system of amending councils’ planning controls in Local Environment Plans (LEPs), through “Planning Proposals” or (Rezonings).

• • Detailed Summary of Rezoning Reforms
  • A new approach to rezonings – Discussion paper
  • FAQs – Rezoning Reforms

Lane Cove Sport and Recreation Precinct – NSW Government Funding Opportunity

Lane Cove Sport and Recreation Precinct – Business Case -21 February 2022

Release the business case for the proposed Sport & Recreation Centre for public comment and a proposal to apply for funding from the State Government.

The Greenwich Community Association has reviewed the Business Case in detail and has concluded:

“The attendance estimates range from 318,000 visitations in year one upwards to 364,000 in yr 10.   Financial performance is poor. Over ten years, it will generate a cash deficiency of more than $15m after the proposed $20m borrowings. Another key factor is that almost all visitors to the proposed centre will have to get there by car, as it is very poorly serviced by public transport.”

A copy of the GCA’s submission to Councillors is here

MOTION AMENDED AND THE FOLLOWING MOTION BELOW PASSED

North Sydney Council request to advocate for changes to the St Leonards Crows Nest 2036 Plan

A Proposal from North Sydney Council to join them in a delegation to the Minister for Planning to seek immediate amendments to the 2036 Plan to remove the post-exhibition changes to the maximum building heights and floor space ratios that were not subject to public comment.

MOTION PASSED

Councillor Training Attendance Request – Local Government NSW Executive Certificate for Elected Members

That Council endorse requests by Councillor Kennedy, Councillor Bryla and Councillor Roenfeldt to undertake the Local Government NSW Executive Certificate for Elected Members training course at the cost of $3,500 per person.

MOTION PASSED

Second Quarter Review of the 2021/22 Delivery Program and Operational Plan

Review of Councils operations for the last quarter.

Advocacy letter to DPIE re BASIX higher standards

DRAFT Submission to DPIE re BASIX high standards – Lane Cove Council submission

MOTION PASSED WITH AMENDMENTS

A proposal that Council adopt the draft submission to the increases to Building Sustainability Index (‘BASIX ‘) requirements by the State Government.

Council support for NSW Plastics Action Plan

Plastic packaging and single-use plastic items make up 60% of all litter in NSW and threaten wildlife and our environment. Approximately 575 million plastic items were littered in NSW in 2018–19. With only 8% of all plastic consumed in NSW (in 2019-20) recovered for reuse, there is considerable scope for improvement

Over the years Council has responded to growing community concern over single-use plastics. In 2018 Council phased out single-use plastic items at all Council venues, and Council supported and sponsored events.

Council has supported local businesses find practical ways to minimise plastic. In 2018 Council developed a plastic straw reduction program to assist local businesses in reducing the use of single-use plastic straws. Sustainable alternatives were provided to food outlets and accompanied by an awareness and education campaign to encourage food outlets to phase out single-use plastic straws. As a result of the trial, 46% of businesses ceased using single-use plastic straws.

In 2019 Council implemented a single-use plastic bag reduction program to help businesses transition from unsustainable, disposable, single-use bags to reusable and durable alternatives. The program was implemented in partnership with Macquarie University’s Student Consultancy Program. Four hundred (400) bags were provided to twenty-four (24) food outlets and accompanied by an awareness and education campaign. As a result of the program, 33% of businesses committed to ceased using single-use plastic bags. Many more businesses have now made the switch to more eco-friendly solutions.

Whilst Council recognises that businesses are responsible for purchasing sustainable items, shifting consumer behaviour and expectations is also essential. To this end, Council has been supporting the phase-out of single-use plastic bags by providing shopping trolleys for customers who purchased Lane Cove Gift Cards.

The Council will continue to support local businesses as they transition away from single-use plastics by promoting the NSW Plastics Action Plan and sustainable and viable product alternatives. Our communications campaign will initially focus on food and retail outlets to ensure they are informed and prepared for the changes. Following this, they will focus on the remaining businesses throughout the LGA.

MOTION PASSED

Second Quarterly Budget Review – 2021/22 Budget

Budget Review for the Quarter ended31 December 2021

MOTION PASSED

Draft Code of Meeting Practice 2022

If the Council does not adopt a new meeting code that allows councillors to attend meetings by audio-visual link, Council will not be permitted to do this after 30 June 2022. Changes to the Code reflect how council meetings were held during COVID19

MOTION PASSED

Village Public Art program – Birdwood Avenue – Commonwealth Bank building

• • Lane Cove Village Art Project – before the works
  • Newsagency being primed before painting
  • Newsagency with work by artist Kim Siew

In September 2020, Council received a report on proposed public art projects in Birdwood Lane as part of a Village Public Art program. This Report updates the Council on the most recent completed work on the rear of the Commonwealth Bank building in Birdwood Lane. The Report also complies with the requirement of the Local Government Act 1993 – Section 67 regarding works carried out by Council on private land. It is recommended the Report be received and noted.

ITC’s Facebook page feedback has been overwhelmingly thumbs up for the new artwork, which brings colour and vibrancy to Birdwood Lane.

Officer Reports for Information

Ministerial Order – Planning Expectations Recommendation   – Statement of Expectations

The purpose of this report is to notify Councillors about the recent Ministerial Order. On 26 November 2021, then Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes, released a statement of Expectations Order which reserved the right for the Minister to intervene where councils are not upholding their “responsibilities”.

NOTED

Electoral Funding Disclosure Requirements

The purpose of this Report is to advise Councillors that Council has received correspondence from the Election Funding Authority advising that Councillors are required to make twice-yearly disclosures to the Election Funding Authority on political donations received and electoral funding incurred.

NOTED

Council Snapshot January 2022

Council publishes a snapshot every month which sets out what has been happening over the month from development applications, parking fines, waste and landfill reduction reports, reports on upcoming footpath maintenance.