The October Lane Cove Council Meeting will be held on 27 October 2022.
Councillors Bennison, Brookes Horn and Mort have tabled a notice of motion, that if passed by Lane Cove Council, would severely impact the ability of Lane Cove Council resident action groups to raise awareness of local issues. Local action groups form for specific interests, if they were required to register as an association, this would take time and money.
It would also stop community groups, such as our local school’s P&F/P&C, from making submissions to Lane Cove Council.
The Executive Summary provided as part of the notice of motion states, “the aim is to ensure only registered associations can address Lane Cove Council either at the Lane Cove Council Public Forum or via a written submission.”
Action Groups
A good example of how this would impact Lane Cove Locals is the Sutherland Street and Finlayson Street Action Group. Since ITC has been attending Lane Cove Council Meetings, this group has made representations to Lane Cove Council on Cox Lane Park and changes to the Lane Cove Village Traffic Plan. This action group is NOT an incorporated association. ITC Cover Photo shows the Sutherland Street and Finlayson Street Action Group meeting in 2017.
This group made presentations to Lane Cove Council when there was a Liberal Mayor and the Mayor at the time did not seem to have an issue. In fact, it saves time in public forums if one person speaks on behalf of a group rather than individuals speaking on the same topic.
This proposal would also mean that the president of a local P&F/P&C, could not speak at a meeting in that capacity or send a written submission to Lane Cove Council. The only local Parent Association that is incorporated is the St Ignatius Riverview Parents and Friends Association.
Residents Associations
Residents’ Associations play an important role in Lane Cove. They advocate for their suburb or area and engage their local communities through workshops, meetings, and events. For example, the Stringybark Creek Resident’s Association each year co-ordinates a Clean-up Australia day event, and the Linley Point Residents Association (NOT a registered association) holds their annual Linley Point Christmas Party and welcomes new residents to the area.
Residents Associations are a vital part of community consultation. Get involved with your Residents Association and find out what’s happening in your part of Lane Cove. Find out more here.
Code of Meeting Practice
The Lane Cove Council’s Code of Meeting Practice recognises that speakers at a Lane Cove Council Meeting can speak on behalf of others. The only requirement is that they identify their status as a representative when applying to speak at the public forum.
The notice of motion fails to mention the Code of Meeting Practice. This Code would need to be amended to include only representatives of registered associations are permitted to speak on behalf of an association. The Lane Cove Council cannot resolve to change meeting procedures unless they amend the Code of Meeting Practice. Is this notice of motion even valid?
At least two Liberal Councillors were Lane Cove Councillors when the current Code of Meeting Practice was reviewed and circulated for public comment. If unregistered associations are an issue, why was this not raised when the draft Code of Meeting Practice was being reviewed and displayed for public comment? Lane Cove residents could have then had a chance to voice their opinions about community/action groups speaking at the public forum. The Code of Meeting Practice was reviewed by council in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Registered Associations
The notice of motion states, “According to the Department of fair [sic] Trading this Community Association has been deregistered.”
Under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 an association is either registered, or its registration has been cancelled. Deregistration is not a process under this Act.
ITC attends nearly every Lane Cove Council meeting, and the regular speakers at the public forum who represent Lane Cove community groups are registered.
The only community group (that has recently made representations at a public forum) which is not registered is the Lane Cove Dog Lovers Association. This association has over 1000 followers on its Facebook Group and is an important resource for sharing information and reuniting lost dogs. Lane Cove Council is aware that the association is not registered, and the association was even part of the working group to establish the Lane Cove Dog Advisory Committee.
Lane Cove Registered Associations
| INC9876165 | FRIENDS OF LANE COVE NATIONAL PARK INC | REGISTERED |
| Y1238534 | LANE COVE 12 FOOT SAILING SKIFF CLUB INC | REGISTERED |
| Y1587600 | LANE COVE ART SOCIETY INC | REGISTERED |
| Y1246046 | LANE COVE BUSHLAND AND CONSERVATION SOCIETY INC | REGISTERED |
| Y1582615 | LANE COVE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC | REGISTERED |
| INC9880884 | LANE COVE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| INC9881934 | LANE COVE COMMUNITY AID FOUNDATION INC | REGISTERED |
| INC1301127 | LANE COVE COMMUNITY MEN’S SHED INC | REGISTERED |
| Y1090838 | LANE COVE CONCERT BAND INC | REGISTERED |
| Y2688145 | LANE COVE CRICKET CLUB INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| INC1900575 | LANE COVE DISTRICT MUSIC CLUB INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| Y0886104 | LANE COVE FOOTBALL CLUB INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| Y0206411 | LANE COVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC | REGISTERED |
| INC9893760 | LANE COVE JUNIOR RUGBY CLUB INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| Y0618038 | LANE COVE JUNIOR RUGBY LEAGUE FOOTBALL CLUB INC. | REGISTERED |
| INC9876335 | LANE COVE MASTERS SWIMMING CLUB INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| Y1739310 | LANE COVE MUSIC AND CULTURAL ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| INC2200685 | LANE COVE NETBALL CLUB INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| Y0556719 | LANE COVE OCCASIONAL CHILD CARE INC. | REGISTERED |
| Y0113617 | LANE COVE OUT OF SCHOOL INC | REGISTERED |
| Y0889046 | LANE COVE PROBUS CLUB INC. | REGISTERED |
| INC9876473 | LANE COVE RIVER KAYAKERS INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| INC1500413 | LANE COVE RUGBY UNION CLUB INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| INC9893930 | LANE COVE SUSTAINABILITY ACTION GROUP INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| INC9875222 | LANE COVE SWIMMING CLUB INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| Y0045702 | LANE COVE TENNIS CLUB INC | REGISTERED |
| Y2205304 | LANE COVE THEATRE COMPANY INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
Longueville
| Y1957641 | LONGUEVILLE (NSW) RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| Y0847117 | LONGUEVILLE TENNIS CLUB INC. | REGISTERED |
Stringybark Creek
| Y1934217 | STRINGYBARK CREEK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
Lane Cove West
| Y0983108 | LANE COVE WEST RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
| Y0248732 | LANE COVE WEST TENNIS CLUB INC | REGISTERED |
Riverview
| Y2549016 | ST IGNATIUS’ COLLEGE RIVERVIEW PARENTS AND FRIENDS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
Northwood
| INC9883671 | NORTHWOOD ACTION GROUP INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
Osborne Park
| Y2223645 | OSBORNE PARK PROGRESS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED | REGISTERED |
Notice of Motion
Subject: Notice of Motion – Representation from Deregistered Community Associations
Record No: SU8085 – 60260/22
Division: Lane Cove Council
Author(s): Councillor Scott Bennison; Councillor David Brooks-Horn; Councillor Katherine Mort
Executive Summary
This report aims to ensure that only registered associations can address Council through the means of the public gallery at Council meetings or submitting a written submission for consideration by Council in relation to an agenda item for a Council meeting.
Discussion
Over the last couple of years and in more recent times, I have received correspondence from a local Community Association that purports to represent the ‘Community’.
Residents and some Councillors have relied upon information provided by this local community association in their public forum address and Council debates.
According to the Department of fair Trading this Community Association has been deregistered.
I am not sure how long this Community Association has been deregistered, however in its current legal status of been deregistered, Lane Cove Council should not have any regard to emails, submissions or nor should the representative be allowed to speak at Council meetings as representative of that association.
| RECOMMENDATION
That the General Manager where he is in receipt of a submission, email, or request to speak at Lane Cove Councils public gallery: 1. Determine if the association is registered with the Department of Fair Trading; 2. If not, then advise the sender that Lane Cove Council is unable to formally accept their submission; and 3. Will be required to register to speak at Lane Cove Council public forum in their personal capacity and not in a representative capacity of the association that is not registered. |
Councillor Scott Bennison
Councillor
Councillor David Brooks-Horn
Councillor
Councillor Katherine Mort
Councillor
ATTACHMENTS:
There are no supporting documents for this report.
It will be interesting to see the debate on this notice of motion.
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