Agenda of Council - Monday, 25 September 2023

Unconfirmed City of Parramatta Council - Minutes of Council Meeting - Monday, 11 September 2023

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Minutes

Council Meeting

Monday, 11 September 2023

6.30pm

Council Chamber

Level 4, PHIVE

Parramatta Square, Parramatta

COUNCIL MEMBERS

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Sameer Pandey and Councillors Phil Bradley, Kellie Darley, Pierre Esber, Michelle Garrard, Henry Green, Ange Humphries, Deputy Lord Mayor Cameron Maclean, Paul Noack, Dr Patricia Prociv, Dan Siviero, Georgina Valjak, Donna Wang and Lorraine Wearne (online).

COUNCIL STAFF

Chief Executive Officer - Gail Connolly, Acting Executive Director Finance & Information – Amit Sharma, Acting Executive Director Property & Place -Justin Day, Executive Director City Engagement and Experience - Angela Jones-Blayney, Executive Director City Planning and Design – Jennifer Concato, Executive Director Community Services - Jonathan Greig, Acting Executive Director City Assets & Operations - James Smallson, Director City Strategy – Nicole Carnegie , Chief Governance & Risk Officer - Roxanne Thornton (Minutes), Chief Technology Officer - John Crawford, Level 1 Support – Wayne Ranson, Level 1 Support - Erik Ivarsson, Group Manager Regulatory Services – Paul Lyth, Chief of Staff - Justin Mulder, Group Manager, Group Manager Social and Community Services – David Moutou, Group Manager 57 Parramatta Square and Community Hubs – Christopher Snelling, Councillor Secretariat and Policy Officer – Marina Cavar.

1. OPENING MEETING

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Pandey, opened the meeting at 6.41pm.

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO TRADITIONAL OWNERS OF LAND

The Lord Mayor acknowledged the Burramattagal people of The Dharug Nation as the traditional owners of this land, and paid respect to their ancient culture and to their elders past, present and emerging.

3. WEBCASTING ANNOUNCEMENT

The Lord Mayor advised that this public meeting is being recorded and streamed live on the internet. The recording will also be archived and made available on Council’s website.

The Lord Mayor further advised that all care will be taken to maintain privacy, however as a visitor in the public gallery, the public should be aware that their presence may be recorded.

4. GENERAL RECORDING OF MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

As per Council’s Code of Meeting Practice, the recording of the Council Meeting by the public using any device, audio or video, is only permitted with Council permission. Recording a Council Meeting without permission may result in the individual being expelled from the Meeting.

5. APOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE OR ATTENDANCE BY AUDIO-VISUAL LINK BY COUNCILLORS

4488

RESOLVED (Councillor Garrard and Councillor Wang)

That Councillor Wearne be granted approval to attend this meeting by audio visual link, and that Councillor Davis be granted a leave of absence.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

6. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 28 August 2023

4489

RESOLVED (Councillor Noack and Councillor Humphries)

That the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 28 August 2023 be taken as read and be accepted as a true record of the Meeting.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

7. DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST

There were no Declarations of Interest made at this meeting.

PROCEDURAL MOTION

MATTER OF URGENCY

Note: In accordance with Clause 9.3 of Council’s Code of Meeting Practice, Councillor Noack requested the Lord Mayor to consider a Matter of Urgency and a suspension of standing orders, for Council to consider a Motion regarding the GWS Giants.

The Lord Mayor determined the matter to be a genuine matter of urgency.

The matter was Put to the Meeting for determination.

RESOLVED (Councillor Noack and Councillor Darley)

That Council consider a Matter of Urgency relating to the GWS Giants.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

MATTER OF URGENCY

CONGRATULATIONS TO GWS GIANTS

4490

RESOLVED (Councillor Noack and Councillor Darley)

(a) The council congratulate the GWS Giants for making the AFL Finals and winning their first elimination final.

(b) Council wishes them all the best for the finals.

(d) Council notes the GWS Giants are an important sporting team in the Parramatta LGA and their Headquarters and Home ground are based in the Rosehill Ward

(e) That PHIVE be lit up in GWS colours as of this Thursday, and if they win on Saturday, that PHIVE continue to be lit up and cease only if they lose.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Question Taken on Notice (Clr Darley) – Matter of Urgency: Congratulations to GWS Giants

Is Council hosting a live site in the Parramatta LGA to broadcast the GWS Giants?

PROCEDURAL MOTION

MATTER OF URGENCY

Note: In accordance with Clause 9.3 of Council’s Code of Meeting Practice, Councillor Valjak requested the Lord Mayor to consider a Matter of Urgency and a suspension of standing orders, for Council to consider a Motion regarding the ‘Let’s Go Greek Festival’.

The Lord Mayor determined the matter to be a genuine matter of urgency.

The matter was Put to the Meeting for determination.

MATTER OF URGENCY

LET’S GO GREEK FESTIVAL

4491

RESOLVED (Councillor Valjak and Councillor Garrard)

That Council write to the Greek Orthodox Committee and organiser of the ‘Let’s Go Greek Parramatta Festival’ to congratulate them on the success of the Festival.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Question Taken on Notice (Clr Garrard) – Urgent Matter: Let’s Go Greek Festival

What is the value of Council sponsorship / Grant to support the ‘Let’s Go Greek Parramatta Festival’?

PROCEDURAL MOTION

RESUMPTION OF STANDING ORDERS

RESOLVED (Councillor Esber and Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Maclean)

That Council return to order of business.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

8. Minutes of the Lord Mayor

8.1

International Public Library of the Year Awards 2023 (PHIVE)

(Report of the Lord Mayor, Councillor Sameer Pandey)

4492

RESOLVED (The Lord Mayor, Councillor Pandey))

(a) That Council note City of Parramatta’s Library at PHIVE was recognised as one of the four best public libraries of the year at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Public Library of the Year 2023 Awards, presented in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on Monday, 21 August 2023.

(b) That Council note the Lord Mayor and two Council officers presented on the Parramatta Library at PHIVE at the Public Library of the Year Awards ceremony, showcasing and celebrating our City to a global audience and the IFLA’s member network.

(c) That Council note the IFLA recognised the Biblioteca Gabriel Garcia Marquez in Barcelona, Spain, as the best public library in 2023.

(d) That Council note the trip summary included in this Lord Mayoral Minute.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

8.2

Central River City - Activation of Parramatta River

(Report of the Lord Mayor, Councillor Sameer Pandey)

4493

RESOLVED (The Lord Mayor, Councillor Pandey)

(a) That Council authorise the Chief Executive Officer to prepare a scope that includes an estimated cost and timeframe to develop an activation program that positions the Parramatta River Foreshore as central to the identity of Parramatta, building on the Parramatta River Vision recently endorsed by Council.

(b) That Council’s proposed activation program celebrates Parramatta’s place as the Central River City and aims to successfully activate the cultural identity of the Parramatta River as an Ancient River, Living River and Shared River as articulated in the Parramatta River Vision.

(d) That Council acknowledge the potential myriad opportunities and benefits of an activated foreshore precinct on the Parramatta River for local community members, and a destination of choice for visitors and tourists.

(d) That Council note Parramatta River Catchment Group’s upcoming annual Riverfest from 16 September (World Clean Up Day) to 24 September (World Rivers Day) 2023 and thank volunteers and visitors who will participate in the range of fun, interactive activities including clean up events, youth eco summit and citizen science activities.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Question Taken on Notice (Clr Esber): Item 8.2 Central River City – Activation of Parramatta River.

Clr Esber is aware of spoil being banked up on the river edge related to the construction of the Powerhouse. Can staff please confirm what measures are currently in place to avoid spoil from entering into the Parramatta River?

8.3

Preparation of a Public Art Strategy for City of Parramatta

(Report of the Lord Mayor, Councillor Sameer Pandey)

4494

RESOLVED (The Lord Mayor Pandey)

That Council authorise the Chief Executive Officer to prepare a scope that includes an estimated cost and timeframe for the preparation of a Public Art Strategy for the City of Parramatta that supports high quality public art projects which add to the City’s liveability and productivity and promotes Parramatta as a cultural destination of choice for visitors. The scope should be reported back to Council in Q4 2024.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

8.4

Review of the Parramatta CBD Pedestrian Strategy

(Report of the Lord Mayor, Councillor Sameer Pandey)

4495

RESOLVED (The Lord Mayor, Councillor Pandey and Councillor Bradley)

That Council approve the CEO investigating the commissioning of an expert to review the Parramatta CBD Pedestrian Strategy to ensure that Parramatta becomes one of the most liveable cities in the world where people, through their public spaces, are able to experience an exciting, interesting and safer city.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Question Taken on Notice (Clr Green) – Item 8.4 Review of the Parramatta CBD Pedestrian Strategy

Could staff provide an update on CBD footpath audit?

8.5

Advocacy for Traffic Management Initiatives at Darcy Road and Cumberland Highway Intersection

(Report of the Lord Mayor Councillor Sameer Pandey)

4496

RESOLVED (The Lord Mayor Councillor, Pandey and Councillor Noack)

(a) That Council note the ongoing and worsening traffic congestion issues at the Darcy Road and Cumberland Highway intersection at Westmead;

(b) That the Lord Mayor write to the NSW Minister for Transport and the Secretary, Transport for NSW (TNSW) requesting short-term improvements to alleviate congestion, including an increased length of time for the green phase in Darcy Road at Cumberland Highway for westbound traffic and consideration of other measures to reduce congestion at the intersection;

(c) That Council staff undertake a high-level review of longer-term options to reduce traffic congestion in Darcy Road at Cumberland Highway;

(d) That a report be submitted to the Traffic Engineering Advisory Group in November 2023 and subsequently to Council that identifies longer-term options to reduce traffic congestion in Darcy Road at the Cumberland Highway, for further investigation by TNSW; and

(e) That, following identification of Council’s preferred option, the Lord Mayor write to the NSW Minister for Transport and the Secretary TNSW with the aim of constructing, as a priority, a longer-term option to reduce congestion.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

8.6

Advocacy for Willow Grove relocation Funding to be Retained in Parramatta

(Report of the Lord Mayor, Councillor Sameer Pandey)

4497

RESOLVED (The Lord Mayor, Councillor Pandey and Councillor Humphries)

(a) That Council note the NSW Government’s decision not to rebuild the historic 19th-century Willow Grove house which was demolished in 2021 to make way for the new Powerhouse Parramatta; and

(b) That the Lord Mayor write to the NSW Minister for the Arts, The Hon. John Graham MLC and State Member for Parramatta, Donna Davis MP, to call on the NSW Government to redirect the funding from the project to the Riverside Theatres upgrade and other heritage projects in the City of Parramatta.

(c) That Council request the NSW Government to consult with Council prior to the reuse or disposal of any components of the Willow Grove House.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: The Lord Mayor, Councillor Pandey, Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Maclean, Councillors Phil Bradley, Pierre Esber, Michelle Garrard, Henry Green, Ange Humphries, Paul Noack, Dr Patricia Prociv, Dan Siviero, Donna Wang and Lorraine Wearne (online).

Against the Motion: Councillors Darley and Valjak.

Note: On being Put to the Meeting, Voting on this Motion was 12 votes FOR and two (2) votes AGAINST.

This Motion was CARRIED.

9. Public Forum

Item	Speaker
Item 14.4 – Notice of Motion - Secure Walking and Cycling Paths in Westmead Precinct	Phil Jenkyn OAM

10. Petitions

There were no petitions tabled at this meeting.

11. Rescission Motions

There were no Rescissions Motions tabled at this meeting.

PROCEDURAL MOTION

dealing with items by exception

RESOLVED (Councillor Garrard and Councillor Noack)

That, in accordance with Section 13 of Council’s Code of Meeting Practice, Council resolve to adopt the following items in accordance with the recommendations as printed, without debate:

· Item 13.1 - Draft Councillor Workshops Policy for Public Exhibition

· Item 13.3 - Public Exhibition of Draft First Nations Strategy 2024-2029

· Item 15.1 - Tree Removal in Parramatta LGA

· Item 15.2 - Water Bubblers in Public Spaces

· Item 15.3 - All Electric Buildings - DCP Provisions

· Item 15.4 - Questions Taken on Notice at the 28 August 2023 Council Meeting

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

13.1

Draft Councillor Workshops Policy for Public Exhibition

(Report of Policy Officer)

4498

RESOLVED (Councillor Garrard and Councillor Noack)

(a) That the draft Councillor Workshops Policy be placed on public exhibition for a period of 28 days.

(b) That Council authorises the Chief Executive Officer to make any necessary editorial and content changes to the draft Councillor Workshops Policy for public exhibition to give effect to Council’s resolution.

(c) Further, that staff prepare a report to Council following the exhibition period to present the final Councillor Workshops Policy for adoption.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

13.3

Public Exhibition of Draft First Nations Strategy 2024-2029

(Report of the Community Capacity Building Manager)

4499

RESOLVED (Councillor Garrard and Councillor Noack)

(a) That Council approve public exhibition of the draft First Nations Strategy 2024 – 2029 (Attachment 1) for a four-week period.

(b) That the Chief Executive Officer be delegated authority to make any minor editorial amendments or adjustments of a non-policy nature to this Strategy.

(c) Further, that Council receives a final report outlining the response to the public exhibition and seeking endorsement of the final Strategy.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

15.1

Tree Removal in Parramatta LGA

(Report of Councillor Darley)

Question with notice

Executive Director City Planning and Design response:

1. How many tree permit applications have been received each year for the last few years?

a) FY22-23 – 690 applications

b) FY21-22 – 809 applications

2. Of these, how many were approved and what did these approved applications equate to in terms of number of trees approved to be removed?

a) FY22-23 – 477 applications approved - 746 trees approved for removal.

b) FY21-22 – 526 applications approved - 852 trees approved for removal.

3. How many determinations of tree permit applications required trees to be planted to replace those removed?

a) FY22-23 – In total 390 applications required replanting – 547 trees conditioned to be replanted.

b) FY21-22 – In total 449 applications required replanting – 647 trees conditioned to be replanted.

In general, where tree removal is supported, replacement planting is typically required on site. However, replacement planting is not always required in instances where properties already have significant canopy tree cover or other constraints prevent suitable replacement planting, such as bushfire restrictions or severely restricted growing environments.

15.2

Water Bubblers in Public Spaces

(Report of Councillor Darley)

QUESTION WITH NOTICE

Executive Director City Assets and Operations response:

1. How many parks in the Parramatta LGA have a water bubbler?

The Parramatta LGA has 145 water bubblers. The number of water bubblers in each ward is as follows:

· Rosehill – 25

· Dundas – 23

· Parramatta – 23

· North Rocks – 44

· Epping – 30

2. How many more parks are scheduled to have a bubbler installed?

One park is currently scheduled to have a water bubbler installed, John Curtin Reserve located in Winston Hills. To maximise the benefits in the context of ongoing costs, water bubblers are being strategically located at activity nodes with high pedestrian traffic (e.g. town centres), where regular physical activity (e.g. sportsgrounds) or large gatherings (e.g. picnic, BBQ) occur.

3. Approximately, how much does it cost to install a bubbler in a park?

The cost to install a water bubbler is approximately $20,000 for supply and install subject to site conditions and access to an existing water line/connection.

4. What are the benefits of there being water bubblers available in public spaces?

The provision of bubblers (or ‘hydration stations’) in parks and open spaces provides free public access to safe and high-quality drinking water to reduce reliance on bottled water. They provide a convenient alternative option for a wide variety of users, from children to pets and rough sleepers, with range of associated economic, environmental and health benefits:

i. Economic

o Saves money through reduced need to purchase increasingly expensive bottled water.

ii. Environmental

o less waste from single-use bottles (plastic / glass) that potentially pollute the environment.

o reduced emissions from plastic / glass production and transportation.

iii. Health

o promotes hydration while engaging in a range of everyday activities (particularly physical activity such as exercise or sport).

o provides an alternative to sugary drinks that contribute to rising rates of obesity and tooth decay.

Water refill stations are often a preferred way to access water (rather than bubblers) as they are perceived as cleaner and more hygienic than a drinking spout only. The vertical flow of water makes it easier to refill reusable water bottles and flow meter gauges can be installed to monitor usage.

15.3

All Electric Buildings - DCP Provisions

(Report of Councillor Valjak)

QUESTION WITH NOTICE

1. Following the recent Ordinary Council Meeting of 28 August 2023, comments were made with regard to no scheduled workshop following the 19 October 2022 session where the following item was placed on the agenda: For Councillor feedback - All- electric buildings? (i.e. all new buildings to only use electricity; not gas).

At the same meeting on 19 October, Councillors discussed other general items including tree canopy, EV charging stations, flooding and Manor Houses. All of these items were brought back to a follow up workshop during 2023 following exhibition, for discussion with Councillors, with the exception of the All Electric Buildings provisions. Can I please be advised of the dates of the follow up workshop(s) and the nature of the Councillor feedback which led to the inclusion of the 5.4.3 All Electric Building DCP provisions.

Executive Director City Planning & Design response:

At the workshop held on 19 October 2022 Council officers outlined changes being considered to environmental performance controls as part of the draft Harmonisation DCP. Councillors were asked for feedback on the proposal to introduce controls for all-electric buildings within the draft DCP. Councillors indicated that there would be little support for this to be applied to residential uses, however, did not raise objections to investigating the possibility of introducing controls for all-electric buildings for other land uses (i.e. non-residential uses). Councillors did not request a follow up workshop on the policy area of all-electric buildings.

Council officers proceeded to investigate the electrification of buildings for non-residential land uses. Council officers proposed controls to require the electrification of commercial and certain non-residential uses within Section 5.4.3 All-Electric Buildings of the draft DCP considered by Council at its meeting of 28 November 2022. Paragraph 29 and 30 of the Council report outlined that updated environmental provisions relating to energy and water efficiency were proposed. The detail of what was proposed was contained in Attachment 3 – Key Policy Matters of the report. Council adopted the draft DCP with these controls on 28 November 2022, and these provisions were consulted with the community during the six-week exhibition.

A workshop was held on 21 August 2023 to brief Councillors on the outcome of the public exhibition of the draft DCP in advance of the 28 August 2023 Council Meeting. The presentation detailed the outcome of the exhibition and focused on proposed changes to the draft DCP resulting from the exhibition process. Other than this workshop, there were no other workshops held in 2023 that dealt with specific elements of the draft DCP such as tree canopy, etc.

The were no objections received to the proposed electrification controls during the public exhibition. However, two submissions were received in support of the provisions and requested the ban on gas to commercial premises be extended to residential properties.

Therefore, as there was only support for the provisions and no public objections to the proposed ban on gas to commercial premises, there were no changes proposed to the draft DCP by staff and there was no discussion of this issue at the workshop on 21 August 2023.

15.4

Questions Taken on Notice at the 28 August 2023 Council Meeting

(Report of Council Secretariat & Registers Officer)

Questions with Notice

Councillor Bradley asked a question on Item 12.1: Update on Quarter Four Progress Report - delivery Program and Operational Plan 2022/23

The number of street trees planted in 2022/23 was approximately 1,500, which is much lower than the anticipated target of 4,000. Further clarification is requested to explain the shortfall from target.

Acting Executive Director City Assets & Operations Response:

There are two Council programs that fund street tree planting. For the financial year 2023/24, the Parks and Open Space team have an annual budget of $400,000 in which approximately 480 sites have been selected using 10 litre trees to maximise the number of plantings. This program is identified in Council’s Environment and Sustainability Strategy (2017), Pg 24, Urban Forest section under the action “Delivering the City of Trees program, planting around 1,000 street trees every year”.

In addition to Council’s Public Tree Program, Transport for NSW has provided extra funding and resources to Council to offset trees removed as part of the Parramatta Light Rail (PLR) project. A total of 2,525 trees have been planted over the past 3 financial years with a 24 month maintenance period now in place.

The 2021/22 DPOP originally stated that all trees planted under the Parramatta Light Rail project and Public Tree Program would total approximately 4000 trees. This statement has distorted the planting program reporting within the 2022/23 DPOP, which has a metric reporting total street trees planted compared to the previous year.

Council’s City Strategy team are coordinating a canopy plan that was presented to Councillors at an April 2023 workshop. This plan will set Council’s revised canopy targets, planting guidelines, future targets, and budget direction. A future workshop on the Canopy Plan has been set with the Councillors in early 2024.

Councillor Humphries asked a question on Item 13.3: adoption of Parramatta DCP 2023

In reference to the quote from NSW Premier, The Hon. Chris Minns MP, regarding the VIC government decision on gas emission, why there is such a disparity between the NSW and VIC gas usage and supply pipeline?

Executive Director City Planning & Design Response:

Victoria has the highest gas usage and number of consumers (2 million in Victoria compared to 1.5 million in NSW) of any Australian State. Gas also provides for double the energy needs of Victoria when compared to NSW.

Victoria has declining gas reserves due to the anticipated decreases from Gippsland legacy fields and the smaller number of gas network operators (i.e. there are three in VIC, and eight in NSW).

In response to declining reserves, the Victorian Government launched a Gas Substitution Roadmap in 2022 to reduce dependency on gas and meet its target on net zero emissions given gas contributes to 17% of the Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions.

NSW has larger contingent resources of gas but a higher dependency on coal and oil which makes up 80% of energy usage in NSW (compared to 70% in Victoria). There is no policy in place at this time to phase out gas usage across NSW. Over 50% of gas usage in NSW is by industry.

These factors relating to energy supply and distribution underpin why there is a disparity between the NSW and Victorian gas usage and helps explain why Victoria has pursued the Gas Substitution Roadmap.

12. Reports to Council - For Notation

12.1

Minutes of Audit Risk and Improvement Committee Meeting held on 25 May 2023

(Report of Coordinator Internal Audit)

4500

RESOLVED (The Lord Mayor, Councillor Pandey and Councillor Esber)

(a) That Council receive and note the confirmed Minutes from the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) meeting held on 25 May 2023.

(b) That the Chief Executive Officer arrange a Councillor Workshop to be held in respect to the Regulatory Enforcement Policy.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Question Taken on Notice (Clr Bradley): – Item 12.1 Minutes of Audit Risk and Improvement Meeting held on 25 May 2023

· Could staff provide details to the significant risks raised in the report?

12.2

Illegal Dumping Information & Update Report

(Report of Group Manager Regulatory Services)

4501

RESOLVED (Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Maclean and Councillor Noack)

That the matter be deferred for consideration at a Councillor Workshop before the end of the year.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

13. Reports to Council - For Council Decision

13.2

2023 Local Government NSW Annual Conference

(Report of the Executive Officer)

4502

RESOLVED (Councillor Humphries and Councillor Noack)

(a) That Council nominate up to ten (10) Councillors to be Council’s voting delegates for the 2023 Local Government NSW Annual Conference.

1. The Lord Mayor, Councillor Pandey

2. Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Maclean

3. Councillor Bradley

4. Councillor Davis

5. Councillor Esber

6. Councillor Green

7. Councillor Humphries

8. Councillor Noack

9. Councillor Prociv

10. Councillor Wang

And the remaining Councillors be noted as alternate delegates, should one of the above listed Councillors not be available to attend, and notice is provided before registration being closed.

(b) That Council nominate up to ten (10) councillors to be Council’s voting delegates for the 2023 Local Government NSW Board elections, to be conducted at the Annual Conference.

(d) That Council submit the following Motions to LGNSW for consideration at its Annual Conference, further detailed at Attachment 1:

1 Events and Festivals Funding Distribution

2 Australian Citizenship Ceremony Programs

3 NSW Planning Portal

4 Affordable Housing

5 Resilience Preparedness

6 Arts and Culture Resource

7 Increasing the Stormwater Management Service Charge

8 Gender Neutral Toilets and Change Rooms

9 Pensioner Concession on Council Rates and Charges

(e) That Council delegate authority to the Chief Executive Officer to make minor editorial changes to the City of Parramatta Motions as required prior to submission to LGNSW.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

14. Notices of Motion

14.1

Proactive Management of Abandoned Shopping Trolleys in City of Parramatta

(Report of Councillor Wang)

4503

RESOLVED (Councillor Wang and Councillor Garrard)

(a) That the CEO organise an urgent meeting with the major retailers that provide their customers with trolleys to advocate for increased street patrols and collection of their abandoned trolleys.

(b) That the CEO organise a working team and program to urgently deal with the significant number of abandoned trolleys that are left all around the city and conduct an enforcement blitz to prevent the trolleys becoming a safety hazard throughout the city.

(c) That the major retailers be requested to implement appropriate systems to ensure their trolleys are not able to leave a shopping centre or associated car park.

(d) That the CEO provide a further report to Council including how many trolleys have been collected in the last 5 years, and the cost to Council.

(e) That the CEO provide a report to Council related to reverting back to impounding trolleys and that the report include potential locations and any associated costs.

(f) That the Lord Mayor write to the relevant NSW Minister and Shadow Minister outlining the ineffectiveness of the new Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Act 2021 in reducing the level of abandoned trolleys in our community, including the operational impacts to Council.

(g) That the CEO prepare a report back to Council on the possibility of impounding abandoned shopping trolleys at our Community Recycling Centre and crushing those not collected for scrap metal.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Question Taken on Notice (Clr Valjak) – Item 14.1 Proactive Management of Abandoned Shopping Trolleys in City of Parramatta

· Can Council consider a condition of consent addressing abandoned trolleys/introduction of appropriate technology with any new development?

14.2

Further Investigation of Newington Rollback Kerb Parking Proposal

(Report of Councillor Prociv)

4504

RESOLVED (Councillor Prociv and Councillor Esber)

(a) That Council re-visit the Newington rollback kerb parking proposal.

(b) Further, that a report on the following matters be returned to Council by the end of October 2023:

i. Financial implications and timeline of a suburb wide letterbox survey of residents, social media and pop-up consultations.

ii. The results of previous surveys.

iii. Any relevant amendments that may be required to the Parking Enforcement Policy to enable the proposal to be implemented, including as a potential pilot program or trial.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Question Taken on Notice (Clr Darley) – Item 14.2 Further Investigation of Newington Rollback Kerb Parking Proposal

· Does Council have an existing relationship with complexes/strata?

14.3

Bicentennial Anniversary of Hambledon Cottage

(Report of Councillor Prociv)

4505

RESOLVED (Councillor Prociv and Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Maclean)

(a) That Council note that the Bicentennial Anniversary of Hambledon Cottage will be celebrated by the Parramatta Historical Society on Saturday 13 April 2024.

(b) Further, that the CEO provide appropriate support for the Hambledon Cottage Bicentennial event through alignment with the City of Parramatta’s Civic Events Program.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

14.4

Securing Walking and Cycling Paths in Westmead Precinct

(Report of Councillor Darley)

4506

RESOLVED (Councillor Darley and Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Maclean)

(a) That the Lord Mayor write to the Australian Walking Volunteers expressing Council’s support for their efforts with the State and Federal Governments to re-integrate the Governor Phillip Walk into the Great West Walk and link it to other riverside active travel pathways along Toongabbie Creek and the Parramatta River.

(b) Further, that the Lord Mayor write to the Minister for Transport, The Hon. Jo Haylen MP, Minister for Health, The Hon. Ryan Park MP, the State Member for Parramatta, Donna Davis MP, the Deputy Secretary for Cities and Active Transport, Kiersten Fishburn, and Deputy Secretary Homes, Property and Development NSW, Leon Walker, requesting:

1. The Great West Walk is reinstated and integrated into a networks of walking paths that link Westmead and the Parramatta CBD on both sides of the river before the end of 2026.

2. That the network described in b)1. above and the regional cycling connection along the Toongabbie Creek foreshore are prioritised in the delivery of the broader Westmead precinct, including the Parramatta North Development Plan.

3. Transport for NSW, in collaboration with Council, secure public access to the foreshore for all active travel links described above for the benefit of hospital staff, patients and the wider community, with the details of funding, design and construction of pedestrian and cyclist paths to be resolved once access is secured.

4. Seek an urgent update and commitment to the Parramatta Park WestInvest funding.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Note: Councillor Prociv left the meeting at 9.15pm and did not return to the meeting.

14.5

Upgrade of Lake Parramatta Amenities and Facilities

(Report of Councillor Valjak)

4507

RESOLVED (Councillor Valjak and Councillor Wang)

(a) That Council commence a revision of the Lake Parramatta visitor precinct Masterplan to be completed by mid-2024 using in-house resources.

(b) That Council authorises the CEO to apply for any available grant funding to implement components of the existing Lake Parramatta Masterplan noting that elements of the Masterplan that could attract grant funding include:

a. New public toilets/change facility,

b. Development of a new district level playground,

c. Redevelopment of the existing buildings including a new kiosk, community rooms and storage facilities,

d. Improvements to and/or expansion of the car parking.

(c) Further, that Council investigate the commencement of a new capital project, focussed on the development of new amenities at Lake Parramatta, including an upgraded playground and the identification of potential funding sources for this project.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Question Taken on Notice (Clr Garrard) – Item 14.5 Upgrade of Lake Parramatta Amenities and Facilities.

· Could staff provide a response to her Notice of Motion from June 2023 on same matter?

14.6

Reducing Impacts of Cats on Native Wildlife

(Report of Councillor Bradley)

4508

RESOLVED (Councillor Bradley and Councillor Noack)

(a) That Council notes that:

i. Keeping cats at home is the safest option for wildlife, community and the cats themselves.

ii. Pet cats allowed to freely roam outside kill an estimated 323 million native Australian animals and an additional 223 non-native animals annually.

iii. Roaming cats are a direct threat to species which are found in our local bushland

iv. Unlike in other states and territories, the NSW Companion Animals Act 1998 does not currently allow local councils the flexibility to introduce cat containment policies in consultation with the local community that meet the specific needs of their area and protect local wildlife.

v. Cat containment and responsible pet ownership policies would require cat owners to keep their pet within the bounds of their property, as is currently the case for dogs, livestock and other pets.

vi. The Local Government Association of NSW supports “Amendments to legislation to enable councils to more effectively manage the nuisance effects of cats on residents and wildlife, including streamlining the process of animal registration and limiting the roaming of cats beyond their owner’s property.

vii. Cats that are kept safely at home live up to 10 years longer. According to the RSPCA NSW, two in three cat owners have lost a cat to a roaming-related incident and one in three to a car accident.

viii. The NSW Government through the NSW Environmental Trust is working with RSPCA NSW and 11 councils to deliver the ‘Keeping Cats Safe at Home’ project to encourage owners to improve responsible pet ownership and reduce the number of roaming pet and stray cats through education and subsidised desexing programs.

ix. In addition to cat containment, desexing pet cats is a key practice that can help reduce the number of roaming cats that result from unintentional breeding and animal abandonment.

(b) That Council write to the Minister and Shadow Ministers for Local Government (The Hon. Ron Hoenig MP and The Hon. Peter Walsh MP, respectively), Environment and Animal Welfare; the NSW MP for Parramatta Clr Donna Davis; the NSW Greens’ and Independents’ relevant MPs, drawing their attention to this motion and calling for:

i. Changes to the Companion Animals Act 1998 to bring NSW into line with other states and territories by allowing local government to introduce cat containment policies in consultation with the local community that meet the specific needs of their area and community, including phase-in periods, selection of areas within the LGA to which the policy applies, monitoring frameworks and resource allocation.

ii. The establishment of a $10 million three-year state-wide grant program to support councils to implement domestic cat containment policies and associated responsible cat ownership programs to increase containment, desexing, identification and registration.

iii. Implementation of a state-wide ‘Safe cat, safe wildlife’ campaign that includes the development of a central, state-wide online platform, in consultation with councils, relevant agencies and animal welfare bodies to make responsible pet ownership information easily accessible.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Question Taken on Notice (Clr Darley) – Item 14.6 Reducing Impacts of Cats on Native Wildlife

· Could staff provide an update on Council’s involvement in the Keeping Cats Safe at Home’ project.

15. Questions with Notice

Note: All questions with notice were moved by exception earlier in the meeting as detailed in the Minutes.

PROCEDURAL MOTION

Move to closed session

RESOLVED (Councillor Esber and Councillor Noack)

That at this time of the meeting, being 9:41pm, the Lord Mayor, Councillor Pandey advised that the meeting would move into Closed Confidential Session to allow consideration of matters in Closed Session in accordance with Section 10A of the Local Government Act 1993. Accordingly, members of the press and public are excluded from the closed session and access to the correspondence and reports relating to the items considered during the course of the Closed Session will be withheld.

This action is taken to discuss Item 16.1: Leasing of Council's ICT Equipment.

This report is confidential in accordance with section 10A (2) (d) of the Local Government Act 1993 as the report contains commercial information of a confidential nature that would, if disclosed (i) prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied it; or (ii) confer a commercial advantage on a competitor of the Council; or (iii) reveal a trade secret.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Note: The Council moved to Closed Confidential Session at 9.42pm.

16. CLOSED SESSION

16.1

Leasing of Council's ICT Equipment

(Report of Chief Information Officer)

RECOMMENDATION (Councillor Garrard and Councillor Noack)

(a) That Council authorise the appointment of Vestone Capital as Council’s ICT equipment leasing Partner for a term of 4 years with the option for two by 1-year extensions.

(b) That Council authorise the Chief Executive Officer to open a line of credit of up to $7,500,000 to service the leasing ICT equipment.

(c) That the CEO prepare a report that investigates the potential to donate all surplus equipment generated as a result of the changeover to local Not-for-Profit organisations or other suitable applicants in the community through an Expression of Interest (or similar) process, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

PROCEDURAL MOTION

RETURN TO OPEN COUNCIL MEETING

RESOLVED (Councillor Maclean and Councillor Wearne)

That Council return to Open Session.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Note: Council returned to Open Session at 10.10pm.

17. REPORTS OF RESOLUTIONS PASSED IN CLOSED SESSION

Note: The recommendation of the Closed Session in relation to Item 16.1 (Leasing of Council's ICT Equipment) be received and noted as a resolution of Council without any alteration and amendment thereto.

16.1

Leasing of Council's ICT Equipment

(Report of Chief Information Officer)

4509

RESOLVED (Councillor Garrard and Councillor Noack)

(a) That Council authorise the appointment of Vestone Capital as Council’s ICT equipment leasing Partner for a term of 4 years with the option for two by 1-year extensions.

(b) That Council authorise the Chief Executive Officer to open a line of credit of up to $7,500,000 to service the leasing ICT equipment.

Record of Voting:

For the Motion: Unanimous

Note: The resolution for Item 16.1 (Leasing of Council's ICT Equipment) was displayed on screen at the meeting.

18. CONCLUSION OF MEETING

The meeting concluded at 10.11pm.

This page and the preceding 24 pages are the Minutes of the Ordinary Council Meeting held on Monday, 11 September 2023 and confirmed on Monday, 25 September 2023.

Chairperson

Council 25 September 2023 Item 12.2

REPORTS TO COUNCIL - FOR NOTATION

ITEM NUMBER 12.2

SUBJECT Investment Report for August 2023

REFERENCE F2022/03176 - D09120469

REPORT OF Tax and Treasury Accountant

CSP THEME: Fair

workshop/briefing date: Nil

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to inform Council of the investment portfolio performance and compliance for the month of August 2023.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council receive and note the Investment Report for August 2023.

BACKGROUND

1. In accordance with clause 212 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 (the Regulation), a report setting out details of all money invested must be presented to Council monthly.

2. The report must include a certificate as to whether the investments have been made in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act), the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 and Council’s Investment Policy.

ISSUES/OPTIONS/CONSEQUENCES

Investment Portfolio Summary

3. The investment portfolio closing balance as of 31 August was 2023 was $508.9m. The average portfolio holdings held throughout the month was $498.5m.

4. The majority of Council’s investment portfolio is in term deposits (68%). The portfolio also includes liquid floating rate notes (FRNs), cash, and the TCorp Long Term Growth Fund (LTGF).

5. Approximately 9% of the portfolio comprises of less conservative long-term investments with exposure to credit markets and domestic and international shares. The investment portfolio is well diversified and weighted towards higher-rated institutions.

6. The table below lists the diversified range of investments held by Council as of 31 August 2023.

Table 1: Summary of investment portfolio

*COPC Internal Benchmark returns - based on Council’s individual benchmarks across the various asset classes it invests within its own portfolio. The following individual benchmarks are the measurements, used for each asset class.

Cash: RBA Cash Rate
Term Deposits: based on Council’s weighted average duration using multiple ADIs average monthly rate
FRNs: AusBond Credit FRN Index
CFS Global Credit Income Fund: AusBond Credit Index
NSW TCorpIM Long-Term Growth Fund: NSW TCorpIM Internal Benchmark

7. Investment performance for the month. The investment portfolio reported a monthly actual return of 0.28% for August 2023 (or 3.36% on an annualised basis). underperforming the monthly Ausbond bank bill index by 103 basis points annualised. The TCorp Fund (1.76% Actual) and the CFS Global Credit Fund

(-0.28% Actual) was the main detractor to underperformance with falls in domestic and international shares.

8. Historical investment performance. The table below provides year-to-date and historical investment performance compared to the Ausbond Bank Bill Index.

Table 2: Historical investment portfolio performance

9. Investment Revenue: As at the end of August 2023, the cumulative actual interest/income earned, was approximately $631k above the annual budget. This outperformance in interest income expectations, can be attributed to the strong performance of managed funds (9.04%), as well as Floating Rate Notes (5.36%) annualised) and a strong commitment by the Finance team to source and negotiate market leading term deposit rates, as funds became available.

10. Going forward for 2023-24 Advisors exercise caution and expect volatility from the TCorp Long-Term given it has exposure to both domestic and international shares. This fund has a long duration view of 7-10 years and cannot be accurately measured for performance in the short term.

Table 3: Cumulative Interest table

Note: Council values all managed funds, Floating rate notes, and bonds on a mark to market basis each month. Any gain or loss in valuation is capitalised to interest income based on actual monthly statements.

Table 4: Managed Fund Valuations Capitalised

11. During August, unrealised capital valuations on Managed funds fell by approximately -$140k This decrease in capital valuation, has been capitalised and is included in the cumulative investment revenue shown in table 3.

12. The NSW TCorp Fund accounts for 6.04% of Council’s total investment portfolio. The Fund recording a negative return of -0.28% (actual) during August 2023.Given the exposure to the volatile asset of shares, Council should expect to see, on average, a negative month once every 3 months over a long-term holding period.

13. The CFS Global Credit fund accounts for around 3% of Council’s total investment portfolio. The Fund returned +0.22% (actual) in August, with a running yield of 5.50% p.a., advisors recommend Council to retain this investment given the alternative investments in complying fixed interest products are largely earning below this rate of return.

14. Maturities and Transactions: Overall, the portfolio remains well diversified from a maturity perspective, with around 14% of assets directed to medium term (2-5 years).

15. Where liquidity permits, Imperium recommend new surplus funds be directed towards 1–3-year horizons given this is where the most attractive value can be found.

16. The following Investment transactions occurred during August 2023:

Table 5: Investment Maturities

Table 6: New Investment Purchases

17. During the month Council invested $25m, in environmentally sustainable fossil fuel free Floating Rate Notes and term deposits.

18. Any funds remaining after maturities and reinvestment are used to replenish cash at call, and to fund weekly operational expenditure.

Table 7: Maturity profile

19. The portfolio complies with Council’s Investment Policy limits, with ample investment opportunity still available within all institutional rating, duration, and counterparty limits.

Graph 1: Investment Policy rating capacity.

*BBB-/BBB+ limits combined under Council’s investment policy.

20. Counterparty Limits. All individual counterparty limits comply with council’s investment policy, with the following exceptions:

Table 8: Exceptions to counterparty limits

Institution

Policy Limit ($‘000)

Held ($’000)

Overweight ($’000)

Reason

Compliance Date

No Exceptions

21. As at the end of August 2023, Council did not have an overweight position to any single ADI. Overall, the portfolio is well diversified across the entire credit spectrum, including some exposure to unrated ADIs.

22. A full list of counterparty holdings is available on page 9 of the Imperium comprehensive report (attachment 2).

23. Current Yields Councils Floating Rate Notes are currently yielding around 5.50% FYTD with unrealised capital gains of approximately $206k based on current market valuations.

24. The CFS Global Credit Fund holds a diverse range of securities across the global credit market. It remains very well diversified by issuer to mitigate default risk. It invests in nearly 600 corporate bonds from issuers in various countries and industry sectors. Any spread contraction going forward allows credit and asset-backed holdings to enjoy significant capital gains. With a running yield of around +5.5% per annum, Council will continue to hold this fund.

25. Council’s term deposit portfolio (68% of the portfolio) was yielding 3.52% p.a. at month-end, with a weighted average duration of around 270 days or 9 months.

26. Over August, major bank deposit rates dropped around 20bp across the 6–12-month part of the curve, reacting to the RBA’s pause and signs that inflation is decelerating. The average bids would have drifted even lower if one major bank (CBA) was not offering ‘specials’ that was up to 40bp higher than the entire market (not only their peers) across the shorter tenors.

Deposit rates offered by the major banks continue to be lower in the long‑end (2-5 years) compared to the shorter end (6-12 months), reflective of the major banks believing that rate cuts may be required in future years should economic conditions deteriorate, inflation has decelerated and well under control.

Graph 2: Term Deposit Yields

27. Council engages Imperium Markets for assistance in all investment matters relating to advice, risk, and portfolio weighting. Imperium monitor the portfolio daily and conduct a monthly health check review. This confirms that Council’s portfolio is being conducted in accordance with the Act, the Regulation, and the Investment Policy.

28. Detailed investment performance commentary in relation to each investment product /type and counterparty, can be found in the Imperium comprehensive report attached (Attachment 2).

Certification of Investments

29. I hereby certify the investments for the month of August 2023 have been made in compliance with the Act, the Regulations, Council’s Investment Policy, and the adviser’s recommendations.

John Crawford, Acting Executive Director, Finance & Information

CONSULTATION & TIMING

Stakeholder Consultation

30. The following stakeholder consultation has been undertaken in relation to this matter:

Date

Stakeholder

Stakeholder Comment

Council Officer Response

Responsibility

31 Aug 2023

Imperium Markets

All Investments are within Policy guidelines and supported by Councils independent advisor.

Refer Imperium Comprehensive Report

All Investments are within Policy limits and reconcile to the General Ledger as at 31 Aug 2023

John Crawford

Acting Executive Director, Finance & Information

Amit Sharma

CFO

Bruce MacFarlane

Treasury & Tax Accountant

Councillor Consultation

31. The following Councillor consultation has been undertaken in relation to this matter:

Date	Councillor	Councillor Comment	Council Officer Response	Responsibility
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

32. There are no legal implications resulting from this report.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

33. As of 31 August 2023, cumulative interest income exceeded the year-to-date budget by approximately $631k. With the market showing higher term deposit yields, Investment interest will be analysed as part of the September 23 quarterly review with a likely increase in interest income expectations.

Bruce MacFarlane

Tax and Treasury Accountant

Amit Sharma

Acting Executive Director, Finance and Information

Gail Connolly

Chief Executive Officer

Attachments:

1 ⇩	Investment and Loans Performance Graph August 2023.pdf	1 Page
2 ⇩	Imperium Comprehensive Investment Report -August 23 .pdf	36 Pages
3 ⇩	List of Council Investments by maturity August 2023.pdf	7 Pages

REFERENCE MATERIAL

Council 25 September 2023 Item 13.2

REPORTS TO COUNCIL - FOR COUNCIL DECISION

ITEM NUMBER 13.2

SUBJECT Advocacy Strategy Scoping Report

REFERENCE F2022/03176 - D09047537

REPORT OF Senior Project Officer; Project Team Lead

CSP THEME: Thriving

workshop/briefing date: Nil

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to respond to a resolution of Council from its Ordinary Meeting of 13 June 2023 (resolution no.4346), seeking the CEO to prepare a report that investigates options to develop and resource an Advocacy Strategy for Council.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council endorses the preparation of an Advocacy Strategy as detailed and recommended in this report.

BACKGROUND

1. The purpose of this report is to respond to a resolution of Council from its Ordinary Meeting of 13 June 2023 (resolution no.4346), seeking the CEO to prepare a report that investigates options to develop and resource an Advocacy Strategy for Council.

2. The resolution outlined several matters which the report should include, and this report addresses these matters.

3. To assist in the preparation of this report, Council officers reviewed fourteen public sector advocacy documents to distinguish best and common practice advocacy approaches. Please refer to Attachment 1 – Literature Review of Advocacy Documents for the detailed review.

4. The main findings from this cohort of documents are outlined below:

a. Common practice documents include a definition of advocacy, brief descriptions of why organisations conduct advocacy and key advocacy “asks”, usually with a financial contribution to alleviate a project shortfall, or to entirely fund projects deemed critical for the area. Common practice documents had a varied level of transparency around how and why initiatives or actions were prioritised.

b. Best practice documents involve transparent and well-formulated advocacy principles, a framework to prioritise advocacy items, guidance on how to carry out advocacy, and success measurement to evaluate and improve advocacy work.

OPTIONS

5. Council officers have identified three (3) options for Council’s consideration, to develop and resource an Advocacy Strategy that aligns with Council’s Community Strategic Plan and other adopted Council strategies. These options are described as follows:

Option 1: Do nothing / business as usual:

This option would continue the current ad-hoc operations of Council’s advocacy activities. While this would not require any additional resources, it also limits possibilities for Council to improve on its current advocacy performance and deliver services to the community. In its current state, there are often missed opportunities to proactively advocate, that are holistic in nature. This option is not recommended by Council officers.

Option 2: Prepare a ‘Lite’ Strategy:

This option would see a collation of existing advocacy positions of Council into a document with a view to identify future opportunities for promotion that are within existing budgets and commitments. This option would not enable effective organisational capacity to carry out enhanced advocacy that could position City of Parramatta as a leader in shaping the future of Greater Sydney. This option is not recommended by Council officers.

Option 3: Prepare a new Advocacy Strategy:

As detailed in the remainder of this report, this option considers existing and new advocacy priorities, to develop an Advocacy Strategy that includes a framework, platform, process and evaluation. This option would require additional resources which may include operational and employee budgets to be considered by the Council in a future report. This option is recommended by Council officers.

COMPONENTS OF AN ADVOCACY STRATEGY

6. The remainder of this report is structured to consider four components of an Advocacy Strategy:

a. Advocacy Framework: includes a definition of advocacy, a review of Council’s past advocacy efforts, and principles to guide future advocacy.

b. Advocacy Platform: Council’s advocacy priorities.

c. Advocacy Process: assigning of methods and resources to achieve Council’s priorities.

d. Advocacy Evaluation: measurement of success to evaluate activities and inform continuous improvement.

7. COMPONENT 1: ADVOCACY FRAMEWORK

i. Advocacy Definition:

This report suggests that advocacy be defined as ‘actions that Council takes to influence outcomes on matters where there are limits to Council’s power, control, and/or resources.’

ii. A Review of Council’s Advocacy Efforts:

Examining Parramatta’s history of successful advocacy is an appropriate place to start when considering a way forward on advocacy for the future.

Council has a strong track record of advocacy efforts, when appropriately resourced, focused on securing funding for infrastructure, including:

(a) Civic Link – Council successfully gained a $10.6 million co-contribution from the NSW Government to support the delivery of a green, pedestrianised public space and cultural spine that connects public life from the heart of Parramatta CBD to the River.

(b) Riverside Theatres Redevelopment – $40 million was attained through a successful bid in the WestInvest Community Competitive Round to support the redevelopment of the Riverside Theatres to provide a state-of the-art performance and theatre centre.

(c) The City’s Parramatta Up Late Program – Secured $198,000 from the NSW Government as part of the 2022/23 Western Sydney Culture Up Late Program.

(d) Smart Cities and Suburbs Program – Secured a $571,000 grant from the Australian Government to fund the Melrose Park: Climate Responsive Neighbourhood project.

(e) Stewart Street Reserve Escarpment Lookout – Secured $500,000 in NSW Government funding to link the Escarpment Lookout to the Escarpment Boardwalk and Charles Street Square.

(f) Darling Mills Creek Bridge – Secured $341,000 from NSW Transport for a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge over Darling Mills Creek into Parramatta North.

(g) Parramatta River Catchment Group – Secured $1.8 million in co-funding from the NSW Government for the delivery of riverbank naturalisation project and address stormwater compliance and education program.

(h) WestInvest – Council secured over $190 million in funds (including $40m for Riverside Theatres mentioned above) from the NSW Government’s WestInvest program to deliver 19 transformational projects that will improve quality of assets and infrastructure across the LGA.

Council also has a strong track record of advocacy for major projects, including:

(i) MAAS Parramatta – the relocation of Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) will emerge in the heart of the Central City. MAAS Parramatta will be the largest Museum in NSW and is projected to attract 2 million visitors annually.

(j) Parramatta Light Rail Stages 1&2 – Council attained $236.0 million in 2022-23 on Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1, and $602.4 million on Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2 to support the delivery of a total of 30 accessible stops.

(k) Sydney Metro West – Council successfully advocated for the inclusion of 3 stations along the Sydney West Metro alignment serving the Parramatta LGA. This improves the accessibility for residents to services and employment within the LGA, Greater Sydney and beyond.

(l) University coming to Westmead – A University of Sydney Campus is to be delivered in Westmead & Parramatta North for 25,000 new students.

While activities relating to achieving many of the above goals appeared in Council’s strategic documents, it is recognised that Council has never had a specific Advocacy Strategy that aligns and plans Council’s advocacy activities.

If endorsed as recommended, the new Advocacy Strategy would be informed with consideration of the history of Council’s previous advocacy efforts and activities.

iii. Principles of Advocacy

Advocacy has two broad dimensions:

(a) Advocacy Platform: “what” one advocates for, and

(b) Advocacy Process: “how” one carries out that advocacy.

If endorsed as recommended, the content of an organisation’s Advocacy Platform and the methods of its Advocacy Process should be aligned with overarching advocacy principles. This ensures that “what” one advocates for and “how” one is advocating aligns with Council’s vision for the future.

Draft principles are included below and are intended to inform the detailed preparation of an Advocacy Strategy, if endorsed.

(a) Our Advocacy Platform:

1) Fearlessly focuses on the good of the City and – by extension – the region and Greater Sydney;

2) Seeks to position Parramatta on a global stage;

3) Aligns with Council’s future vision as expressed through the Community Strategic Plan (CSP) and other key strategic documents;

4) Simultaneously addresses multiple issues at once, recognising that cities face complex problems, and our resources are finite.

5) Draws on research, evidence, and a deep understanding of our place and communities.

6) Is ambitious, while also remaining clear, specific, and broken down into achievable pieces; and

7) Clearly identifies priorities, as we cannot accomplish everything at once.

(b) Our Advocacy Process:

1) Encompasses both planned and opportunistic modes;

2) Carefully targets appropriate audiences and opportunities;

3) Receives sufficient and ongoing internal resources and funding;

4) Seeks to collaborate and partner with community, different levels of Government and other organisations as appropriate;

5) Examines successes and failures in order to continuously improve; and

6) Includes ongoing efforts for re-evaluation to ensure our platform and process remains up-to-date.

Guided by the above draft principles, the Advocacy Strategy, if endorsed, would include final principles for Council’s Advocacy Platform and Advocacy Process.

8. COMPONENT 2: ADVOCACY PLATFORM

As prefaced in the above section relating to Council’s advocacy history, the main advocacy outcomes Council seeks are broadly categorised as follows:

(a) Funding: Increased funding opportunities and sources so that Council can directly deliver infrastructure and programs that it would be undeliverable within its normal budgetary constraints.

(b) Infrastructure: Delivery of infrastructure that Council is unable to do on its own (e.g., major transport infrastructure).

(c) Policy change: Amendments to policy at State and/or Federal levels that would make a positive impact on the City’s community, economy and/or environment.

If endorsed as recommended, the Advocacy Strategy would clearly articulate outcomes sought across funding, built infrastructure and policy matters.

i. Approach to Prioritisation

Council should identify a limited number of key or flagship priorities, and the reasoning for this is twofold:

· Council’s resources for advancing advocacy priorities are finite, and

· too many advocacy priorities risks diluting and confusing Council’s aims.

Priority identification should be supported by a structured and consistent methodology for prioritisation. This is to ensure that Council is putting its finite resources toward the most appropriate items and issues.

A prioritisation matrix is a common tool for distinguishing amongst many possibilities. It uses several criteria to allow for a priority’s importance to emerge. Criteria used within an advocacy prioritisation matrix will vary, and can include:

(a) Effort required to complete advocacy processes

(b) Forecast impact of the advocacy item/issue

(d) Timeline for benefits realisation

(e) Alignment against Council’s (and any other relevant) strategic documentation

If endorsed as recommended, the Advocacy Strategy would:

(a) include a recommended prioritisation matrix based on Councillor feedback and the final Advocacy Platform principles identified, and

(b) apply the prioritisation matrix method to identify multiple tiers of priorities – for example, a suite of “high priority” items as well as “lower tier” items, as identified in the original Notice of Motion.

ii. Advocacy Priorities (‘Flagship’, second and third tier priorities)

If endorsed as recommended, finalising Council’s Advocacy Platform should be driven by a structured consideration of priorities. Therefore, it is considered premature to confirm Council’s priorities in final format before a prioritisation activity is undertaken with Councillors as part of preparing the Advocacy Strategy.

Nevertheless, it is recognised that Council already has many ongoing advocacy priorities and Council officers consider it prudent to identify in this scoping report the types of priorities which could be included in the prioritisation activity described above.

Examples of these priorities are included below and are organised across four draft thematic areas. These examples were sourced from:

(a) Council’s current and draft strategies

(b) Other advocacy positions currently being progressed by Council

Table 1: Examples of Potential Advocacy Priorities

Place & Movement
Funding	Infrastructure	Policy
Continue to pursue external funding streams for active transport* Funding opportunities to make the Parramatta River Corridor more vibrant and accessible, with green spaces and pedestrian-friendly connections to the CBD*	Advocate for a commitment to Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2* Advocate for North-South transport links* Advocate for increased Metro stations for Parramatta* Advocate for a future fast rail station for Parramatta	Advocacy relating to development contributions reform for urban infill areas*
Resilience & Equity
Funding	Infrastructure	Policy
Funding opportunities to increase tree canopy across the LGA*	Advocate to State Government landholders relating to delivering the Parramatta River Vision*	Advocacy positions established in the Affordable Housing Action Plan* Advocacy on decarbonisation*
Opportunity & Prosperity
Funding	Infrastructure	Policy
Funding opportunities for enabling infrastructure for circular economy*	Advocate for expansion Parramatta’s Justice Precinct and legal services * Advocate for planning and delivery of schools in a variety of precincts*	Advocacy on rebalancing jobs and housing growth across Greater Sydney* Policy advocacy to encourage innovation, advanced manufacturing and emerging industries ecosystem*
Connection & Joy
Funding	Infrastructure	Policy
Advocacy for funding for arts and culture in Western Sydney based on population distribution across three tiers of government Funding opportunities to enhance and expand Parramatta’s events and festivals offer *	Advocate to the State Government to restore the Roxy Theatre to support an arts and cultural precinct* Advocate for the relocation of SBS to Parramatta * Advocate for fast-tracking the establishment of an Indigenous Centre of Excellence	Advocacy positions established in the Night Time Economy Framework*

*Council has already endorsed a project, policy, or strategy (including drafts) that supports this outcome

If endorsed as recommended, preparation of the Advocacy Strategy would include (but not be limited to) an assessment of the above identified potential advocacy priorities.

If endorsed, the Advocacy Strategy would identify Council’s Advocacy Platform as determined through the above assessment and consultation.

9. COMPONENT 3: ADVOCACY PROCESS

i. Methods of Advocacy

There are a wide variety of methods which Council might use to advance its Advocacy Platform, including but not limited to:

(a) Adopting formal positions through strategic documents or other means

(b) Planned and opportunistic responses to State/Federal Government

(d) Liaison with State Government

(e) Directly pursuing grants and other funding opportunities

(f) Council-planned events (“City Talks”, panels, symposia, etc.)

(g) Attendance and participation at relevant external events

(h) Media engagement

(i) Partnerships & alliances

(j) Pursuing awards and other formal external recognition

(k) Establishing collaborative organisations (for example with other Councils and/or other urban leaders in public and private sectors)

(l) Collateral material (thought leadership, pamphlets, brochures, etc.)

Currently, there are several advocacy activities underway or planned for the various Strategies currently on exhibition, which creates an existing opportunity to advocate for the city, that is immediate and tangible. The priorities captured above broadly align with priorities in each of the Strategies. These include, but are not limited to, the Future Parramatta Luncheon for industry stakeholders held September 7; a City Talks program and a partnership with Sydney Review of Books; and Western Sydney University’s Writing and Society Research Centre to engage a writer to tell the story of our city - honouring heritage, our current transformation, and aspirations for the future. This initiative aims to broaden the audience reach of the City’s refreshed strategies in a unique and innovative way, provide a platform for a writer to respond to Parramatta’s vision and tell the story of our city, and position City of Parramatta as a cultural leader and innovator in literary arts. These activities are all within existing resources.

There are also several enabling activities which Council could undertake to support, enable and strengthen Council’s ability to deliver high quality and impactful advocacy processes. These include, but are not limited to:

(a) Internal capacity building (e.g. advocacy skills training);

(b) Community capacity building (to strengthen the community to work with Council to advance its priorities);

If endorsed as recommended, the Advocacy Strategy would assign a program of recommended methods to each of the priorities identified in the Advocacy Platform.

10. COMPONENT 4: ADVOCACY EVALUATION

Evaluation will be vital to understanding whether Council’s Advocacy Platform and Process are being implemented as planned, and what progress Council is making towards its aims. However, evaluating advocacy performance is challenging for several reasons, including:

(a) The scale of outcomes sought often means that meaningful change can take years or decades to be realised;

(b) Change often results from many voices contributing to a collective; dialogue, therefore measuring individual contributions can be difficult;

(c) The flexible and dynamic nature of advocacy conversations can make anticipating the best measures of success difficult;

(d) Advocacy is necessarily focused on areas where Council’s control is limited, meaning that other stakeholders with more control have a major bearing on whether Council’s aims are achieve; and

(e) Limited precedent for advocacy evaluation.

The above conclusion is supported by the best and common practice review referred to previously in this report, as follows:

(a) Only 50% (seven) of the documents canvassed contained some sort of evaluation framework.

(b) Six of these seven introduced a framework which simply identified whether the priorities were achieved.

(c) Only one (Yarra Ranges Council Advocacy Framework) presented a clear and improvement-oriented framework, which centered around an annual review covering:

1) Summary of activities, campaigns and achievements;

2) Assessment of key barriers to success and recommendations to improve;

3) Assessment of new and emerging issues/opportunities;

4) Review of key priorities, taking into account new evidence, data and insights.

Based on above, Council officers identify that this is an area where Council could break innovative ground.

If endorsed as recommended, the Advocacy Strategy would include an evaluation approach informed by in-depth review of both academic literature and best practice approaches.

CONSULTATION & TIMING

Stakeholder Consultation

11. The following stakeholder consultation has been undertaken in relation to this matter:

Date	Stakeholder	Stakeholder Comment	Council Officer Response	Responsibility
NA	NA	NA	NA	NA

Councillor Consultation

12. The following Councillor consultation has been undertaken in relation to this matter:

Date	Councillor	Councillor Comment	Council Officer Response	Responsibility
NA	NA	NA	NA	NA

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

13. There are no legal implications for Council associated with this report.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

14. If Council resolves to approve this report in accordance with the proposed resolution, there are no unbudgeted financial implications for Council’s budget as the draft Advocacy Strategy can be prepared within existing staff resources. However, it is worth noting that additional financial resources will be considered and brought back to the Council, for implementation of the new Advocacy Strategy.

15. The table below summarises the financial impacts on the budget arising from approval of this report.

	FY 22/23	FY 23/24	FY 24/25	FY 25/26
Revenue
Internal Revenue
External Revenue
Total Revenue

Funding Source	Nil	Nil

Operating Result
External Costs
Internal Costs
Depreciation
Other
Total Operating Result	Nil	Nil

Funding Source

CAPEX
CAPEX
External
Internal
Other
Total CAPEX	Nil	Nil

Sarah Baker

Project Team Lead

Nicole Carnegie

Director City Strategy

Amit Sharma

Acting Executive Director Finance & Information

Gail Connolly

Chief Executive Officer

Attachments:

1 ⇩

Literature Review of Advocacy Documents

7 Pages

REFERENCE MATERIAL

Council 25 September 2023 Item 13.5

REPORTS TO COUNCIL - FOR COUNCIL DECISION

ITEM NUMBER 13.5

SUBJECT Proposed Preparation of a Tourism Strategy

REFERENCE F2022/03176 - D09117860

REPORT OF Project Team Leader

PREVIOUS ITEMS 8.2 - Preparation of a Tourism Strategy for City of Parramatta - Council - 28 Aug 2023 6:30PM

CSP THEME: Thriving

workshop/briefing date: Nil

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to respond to a resolution of Council dated 28 August 2023 (resolution no.4466), authorising the CEO to prepare a scoping report for updating Council’s ‘Visitor Economy Strategy (Tourism Strategy) and recommended advocacy to the State Government for increased funding for events and festivals including a ‘Vivid Parramatta’ program.

RECOMMENDATION

(a) That Council note the ‘Visitor Economy Strategy’ (currently known as the Destination Management Plan) is included within the 2024/25 Delivery Plan and Operational Plan (DPOP) with work commencing in June 2024.

(b) That the Lord Mayor write to the NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism, The Hon John Graham MLC and relevant stakeholders, to advocate for funding for flagship local events including a Vivid Parramatta.

BACKGROUND

1. This report responds to the resolution of Council dated 28 August 2023 (resolution no.4466) as follows:

a) That Council authorise the Chief Executive Officer to prepare a scope that includes an estimated cost and timeframe for the preparation of a Tourism Strategy for the City of Parramatta that promotes our city as a destination of choice for visitors, and for the scope to be reported back to Council at its meeting on 25 September 2023.

b) That this work be coordinated with the implementation of the City of Parramatta’s Economic Development Strategy 2023-2032.

c) That the Lord Mayor write to the NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism, The Hon. John Graham MLC, The Member for Parramatta, Donna Davis MP and relevant stakeholders to advocate for funding for a ‘Vivid Parramatta’ program.

Council’s Destination Management Plan 2019-2024

2. The Destination Management Plan 2019-2024 (DMP) is the City’s current strategic document which guides and supports tourism and the visitor economy in Parramatta. The DMP was adopted by Council in February 2019.

3. The DMP outlines three focus areas which are central elements of best-practice destination management;

1) Destination Experiences;

2) Industry Development; and

3) Destination Positioning and Promotion.

4. The DMP remains current and is due to be refreshed commencing June 2024 as per Council’s current Delivery Plan and Operational Plan (DPOP). It is anticipated that this process will take approximately 12 months.

5. Any acceleration of the existing program is not currently resourced, nor is there any perceived urgency, given the DMP remains in force and the review is programmed for a June 2024 commencement.

VISITOR ECONOMY STRATEGY 2024 (Previously the Destination Management Plan 2019-2024)

6. The Visitor Economy Strategy will be the City’s primary strategic document for guiding the development of Parramatta’s visitor economy broadly and the local tourism sector.

7. At a Federal level, the term 'Visitor Economy’ is understood to include tourism but also goes beyond tourism by incorporating anyone who provides or promotes services to visitors.

8. Updating the title of the DMP to a Visitor Economy Strategy through the DPOP process aligns with Destination NSW and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission who also have existing Visitor Economy Strategies.

9. Further, Visitor Economy Strategies are all encompassing and consider the place, the community, and the local economy. They aim to realise and deliver to the community the benefits of visitation and tourism, including economic growth, sector support, and jobs creation.

ADVOCACY FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR EVENTS

10. The Western Sydney State of the Arts Report 2023 highlights the disparity in funding between Western Sydney and Eastern Sydney from 2015-2023. The report calls for equal distribution of funding across Western Sydney which includes funding for key events contributing to the visitor economy.

11. To deliver on priority 5 from the Draft Economic Development Strategy ‘Our city is vibrant and a destination of choice', action 5.2.3 is to advocate to key government stakeholders and partners including Destination NSW, Create NSW, Investment NSW, and Multicultural NSW to position Parramatta as a tier 1 choice for major events.

12. Flagship local events significantly contribute to the sector. A key part of our advocacy is investing in local events, delivered by local artists and cultural providers thorough investment from NSW Government and key strategic partners.

13. It is the recommendation of this Report that advocacy to the NSW Government is undertaken, calling for increased funding for flagship local events in Parramatta. The proposed advocacy will include working with strategic partners to call for the NSW Government to bring a Vivid program to Parramatta. This can be undertaken within existing resources.

TIMELINE FOR THE VISITOR ECONOMY STRATEGY

14. As outlined in the Draft Economic Development Strategy, the Visitor Economy Strategy (DMP) is due to be refreshed in 2024/25. This is also included in the current DPOP for a June 2024 commencement. It is anticipated that this process will take approximately 12 months.

CONSULTATION & TIMING

Stakeholder Consultation

15. There has been no stakeholder consultation.

Date	Stakeholder	Stakeholder Comment	Council Officer Response	Responsibility
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Councillor Consultation

16. The following Councillor consultation was undertaken:

Date	Councillor	Councillor Comment	Council Officer Response	Responsibility
11/09/2023	Lord Mayor	Consider stakeholders for Vivid advocacy	Noted and included.	City Strategy

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

17. There are no legal implications for Council associated with this report.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

18. The Visitor Economy Strategy (formerly the Destination Management Plan) is within the current Delivery Plan and Operational Plan (DPOP) in FY 2024/25, no additional budget or resources is required.

19. The advocacy activities can be delivered within existing resources.

Karim Kisirwani

Project Team Leader

Nicole Carnegie

Director City Strategy

Amit Sharma

Acting Executive Director Finance & Information

Gail Connolly

Chief Executive Officer

Attachments:

There are no attachments for this report.

REFERENCE MATERIAL

Obligations
Oath [Affirmation] of Office by Councillors	I swear [solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm] that I will undertake the duties of the office of Councillor in the best interests of the people of the City of Parramatta Council and the City of Parramatta Council that I will faithfully and impartially carry out the functions, powers, authorities and discretions vested in me under the Local Government Act 1993 or any other Act to the best of my ability and judgement.
Code of Conduct Conflict of Interests
Pecuniary Interests	A Councillor who has a pecuniary interest in any matter with which the Council is concerned, and who is present at a meeting of the Council at which the matter is being considered, must disclose the nature of the interest to the meeting. The Councillor must not be present at, or in sight of, the meeting: a) At any time during which the matter is being considered or discussed, or b) At any time during which the Council is voting on any question in relation to the matter.
Non-Pecuniary Conflict of Interests	A Councillor who has a non-pecuniary conflict of interest in a matter, must disclose the relevant private interest in relation to the matter fully and on each occasion on which the non-pecuniary conflict of interest arises in relation to the matter.
Significant Non-Pecuniary Conflict of Interests	A Councillor who has a significant non-pecuniary conflict of interest in relation to a matter under consideration at a Council meeting, must manage the conflict of interest as if they had a pecuniary interest in the matter.
Non-Significant Non-Pecuniary Interests	A Councillor who determines that they have a non-pecuniary conflict of interest in a matter that is not significant and does not require further action, when disclosing the interest must also explain why conflict of interest is not significant and does not require further action in the circumstances.

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2 ⇩	For Information - Enterprise Risk Management Policy Review 2023 - Summary of Proposed Changes	2 Pages
3 ⇩	For Public Exhibition - Enterprise Risk Management Policy 2026 - Full Markup of Proposed Changes	11 Pages

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