Late Items Agenda of Council - Monday, 6 November 2023

Council 6 November 2023 Item 13.4

REPORTS TO COUNCIL - FOR COUNCIL DECISION

ITEM NUMBER 13.4

SUBJECT LATE REPORT - 2023/24 Christmas/New Year Close Down Period

REFERENCE F2022/03176 - D09185041

REPORT OF Acting Executive Director People Culture & Workplace

CSP THEME: Fair

workshop/briefing date: 28 october 2023

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to advise Council of the proposed 2023/24 Christmas New Year Close Dow period, being Monday 25 December 2023 until Friday 5 January 2024, inclusive.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council endorse the 2023/24 Christmas Closedown for the period commencing Monday 25th December 2023 to Friday 5th January 2024 inclusive, while maintaining appropriate staffing levels to meet the community’s needs.

BACKGROUND

1. Traditionally Council has closed to the public for a period of three days between Christmas and New Year and all staff have been provided with three paid additional annual leave days (Grant Days) to cover this period in addition to Award entitlements. Staff who are required to work during this period receive three Grant Days to be taken at a later date.

2. The practice of providing eligible staff with three Grant Days between Boxing Day and New Years Day each year is a provision of the Parramatta City Council Enterprise Agreement 2004. The cost of providing three additional paid annual leave days to staff each year is approximately $1.35 million at current rates of pay.

3. Three public holidays fall within the close down period on Monday 25 December 2023, Tuesday 26December 2023 and Monday 1 January 2024.

4. Three Grant Days are provided to eligible staff on Wednesday 27, Thursday 28 and Friday 29 December 2023.

5. A maximum of four leave days will need to be taken by staff from their leave entitlements (annual leave, Long Service Leave, flex or time in lieu) to cover the period from Tuesday 2 January to Friday 5 January inclusive.

6. Clause 23D(vii) of the Award requires Council to give staff at least four weeks’ notice of a requirement to take leave in the circumstances of a close down of up to two weeks.

7. Requiring staff to take four leave days has the potential to reduce Council’s leave liability by approximately $450,000 per day, or up to a total of $1.8 million for four days leave.

8. Clause 23D(vii)(2) of the Local Government (State) Award provides that staff who do not have sufficient leave accrued to cover the period of the close down shall be provided with meaningful duties. In effect this means that any staff who have less than four days leave available from either annual, Long Service, flex or time in lieu accruals can work during the four-day period from 2 January to Friday 5 January, for the number of days that they have a shortfall of leave accrued.

9. To ensure Council effectively manages future Grant Day leave liabilities, all staff that are required to work Grant Days shall be required to take their grant days leave by 31 March 2024.

ISSUES/OPTIONS/CONSEQUENCES

10. During the closedown period essential services will continue to be provided and some community services will remain in operation in a reduced capacity:

a. Cleansing functions will continue to ensure appropriate service levels are maintained;

b. Parks operations will have reduced staff available to respond to customer requests and asset risk management;

c. Regulatory services will operate in a reduced capacity;

d. Parramatta Aquatic Centre (PAC) and Epping Aquatic Centre (EAC) will be closed on Christmas Day;

e. PAC and EAC will operate on adjusted hours until 2 January 2024

f. PAC creche will be closed;

g. Meals on Wheels will not operate on Public Holidays or Grant Days however Council will be able to respond to urgent meal needs;

h. Council’s recreation booking office will be closed with an on-call arrangement for any urgent needs;

i. All Early Learning Centres will be closed;

j. Parramatta Library at Phive will be closed during Public Holidays

k. Dundas, Constitution Hill, Epping, Ermington and Wentworth Point Libraries will be closed until 2 January 2024;

l. Community Hubs at Phive will be closed on Public Holidays;

m. Parramatta Artist Studios will remain open for contracted artists only;

n. Riverside Theatre will be closed on Public Holidays.

CONSULTATION & TIMING

Councillor Consultation

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

Date	Councillor	Councillor Comment	Council Officer Response	Responsibility
28/10/2023 Councillor Strategy Day	Cr Wearne	The excessive leave liability is of concern	Council will introduce additional measures to plan to reduce excessive leave If endorsed, we intend on communicating with staff immediately which will provide an opportunity to accrue approximately 3 days annual leave from the date of notification before leave is expected to be taken.	Executive Director People Culture and Workplace
28/10/2023 Councillor Strategy Day	Cr Siviero	What if staff do not have sufficient leave?	Staff with low balances will be provided with preference to work in areas that require skeleton staff. Council may also approve leave in advance on an as need basis	Executive Director People Culture and Workplace
30/10/2023 Councillor Workshop	Cr Garrard	Question as to whether reduced services will impact delivery in key areas?	Operational areas such as cleansing will continue to operate to ensure the appropriate level of service is maintained	Executive Director People Culture and Workplace

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

12. There are no legal implications arising from this report.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNCIL

13. Council’s 2022/23 audited financial statements indicate that Council currently has approximately $31 million liability in employee leave entitlements. An extension to the annual Christmas close down period of 4 days will enable Council to manage its employee liabilities in a structured and prudent approach to good governance and long term sustainability.

14. If Council resolves to approve this report in accordance with the proposed resolution, there are significant financial benefits for Council’s budget and long term financial plan as detailed in the report above.

Brendan Clifton

Acting Executive Director People Culture & Workplace

Gail Connolly

Chief Executive Officer

Attachments:

There are no attachments for this report.

Council 6 November 2023 Item 15.1

QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

ITEM NUMBER 15.1

SUBJECT Questions Taken on Notice at the 23 October 2023 Council Meeting

REFERENCE F2022/03176 - D09188146

REPORT OF Council Secretariat & Policy Officer

CSP THEME: Accessible, Fair

QUESTIONS WITH NOTICE

Clr Garrard asked a question on Item 14.1 Heritage Review for City of Parramatta

· Does Council allow the installation of solar panels on heritage listed buildings?

Executive Director City Planning and Design Response

There are two (2) pathways that allow for installation of solar panels in a heritage area.

1. The installation may be exempt development under State Environmental Planning Policy ( SEPP) (Transport and Infrastructure)

Clause 2.41(4) details the conditions that must be met for the panels to be permitted as Exempt Development. Of relevance to Heritage items is clause 2.41(d)iv which states:

(iv) if the land contains a State or local heritage item or is in a heritage conservation area—

(A) the system is not attached to any wall or roof of a building facing a primary road, and

(B) the system does not protrude more than 0.5m from any building to which it is attached (as measured from the point of attachment), and

If the solar panel system can meet all the SEPP requirements, including the clause above, it can be installed as Exempt Development.

2. If the Exempt Development provisions cannot be met the matter can be considered on its merits and assessed for compliance with the Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 and Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023 via the lodgement of a development application with Council.

Section 7.6 Solar Energy Systems of Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023 includes the statement that the “City encourages the sensitive installation of solar energy systems on heritage items and within conservation areas as long the proposal protects heritage values and maintains the integrity, significance and the character of the area.”

Clr Noack asked a question on Item 13.2 Minutes of the Traffic Engineering Advisory Group meeting held on 20 September 2023

· How many meetings has Council had with the developer ‘Sekisui’?

· can they give a report on what has happened at those meeting?

· and how hopeful is Council of progress?

Executive Director City Planning and Design Response

There have been four (4) formal meetings with Sekisui to discuss the roundabout to be constructed at the intersection of Hill Road and Burroway Road since September 2022. Three (3) of the meetings primarily discussed design issues, all of which have been resolved. The final meeting discussed traffic management arrangements during construction and Sekisui also provided an update on approvals required from utility services.

Staff have also made contact on two occasions since mid-August to obtain updates on construction timing. At this stage, Council officers are confident that construction will commence this calendar year, however this is subject to the timely approval of the street lighting plans by Ausgrid. Council officers have been in contact with Ausgrid requesting they expediate their approval process.

Attachments:

There are no attachments for this report.

REFERENCE MATERIAL