Source: http://cam.whittlesea.vic.gov.au/Open/2017/10/CO_31102017_AGN_668_AT.htm
Timestamp: 2018-10-23 09:57:47
Document Index: 88761591

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 3']

You are advised that a Meeting of Council has been called by the Chief Executive Officer on Tuesday, 31 October 2017 in Council Chamber, 25 Ferres Boulevard, South Morang at 6.30PM for the transaction of the following business.
Ordinary Council Agenda Tuesday 31 October 2017
5. Questions to councillors, Petitions and Joint Letters.. 13
5.1 Questions to councillors.. 13
5.2.1 Roundabout at Betula Avenue and Belmont Way – LATM20 – Mill Park.. 13
6.1.1 Proposed Whittlesea Planning Scheme Amendment – 150 Epping Road, Epping. 15
6.1.2 Proposed Amendment to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme- 1470 Plenty Road, Mernda.. 23
6.1.3 Cooper St West Position Paper.. 37
6.1.4 2017/18 First Quarter New Works Program Report. 107
6.2 Community Services.. 127
6.2.1 Welcoming Cities.. 127
6.2.2 Health and Wellbeing Partnership Plan 2017-2021. 133
6.3 City Transport and Presentation.. 187
6.3.1 City of Whittlesea Road Safety Strategy 2017. 187
6.3.2 Petition to remove street trees in Ancona Drive Mill Park – resident survey results.. 191
6.4 Corporate Services.. 207
6.4.1 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2017. 207
6.4.2 Quarterly Contract Finalisation Report - October 2017 229
6.4.3 Appointment of Independent Members to the Audit & Risk Committee and Proposed Fee Increase.. 231
6.4.4 Committee of Council recommendation - Road Discontinuance & Sale to Applicant at 135-161 Barry Road Thomastown.. 235
6.5 Partnerships & Engagement.. 243
6.5.1 ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017. 243
6.5.2 Council Meeting Schedule for 2018. 247
6.5.3 Options and Effectiveness of Live Streaming of Ordinary Council Meetings.. 251
6.5.4 Food Hotel China 2017 - REQUEST FOR APPROVAL FOR OFFICER TO ATTEND.. 269
6.5.5 Assemblies of Councillors Report - 31 October 2017. 271
6.5.6 City of Whittlesea Australia Day Awards Advisory Committee - Expression of Interest - Committee Representation.. 275
6.6 Executive Services.. 277
Nil Reports.. 277
7. Notices of Motion.. 279
7.1 Notice of Motion 832 - Youth Discount Card.. 279
8. Questions to Officers.. 280
9. Urgent BusineSS.. 280
10. Reports from Delegates Appointed BY Council TO Other Bodies.. 280
11. Questions to CouncillorS will be considered at item 5.1. 280
12. Confidential Business.. 281
12.1 Planning and Major Projects.. 281
Nil Reports.. 281
12.2 Community Services.. 283
12.2.1 Sporting Clubs Outstanding Debtors.. 283
12.3 City Transport and Presentation.. 283
12.3.1 Waste Contract Tender.. 283
12.3.2 Traffic Signals Yan Yean Road & Cookes Road Intersection 285
12.3.3 PROVISION OF FUELS AND ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS - CONTRACT NO 2013 -9 A-E EXTENSION REPORT. 285
12.4 Corporate Services.. 287
12.4.1 Financial Reserves.. 287
12.4.2 Contract 2014-4 (MAV TC 4322-2013) 287
12.5 Partnerships & Engagement.. 289
Nil Reports.. 289
12.6 Executive Services.. 289
12.6.1 MEETINGS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 2 October to 20 October 2017. 289
13. Closure.. 289
Ordinary Meeting of Council held 10 October 2017
5.2.1 Roundabout at Betula Avenue and Belmont Way – LATM20 – Mill Park
A Petition was received from 601 people (585 residents and 16 non-residents) residents requesting Council;
“Stop the proposed roundabout at Betula Avenue and Belmont Way – Traffic Management Plan LATM20 – Mill Park. As local residents we were presented with an idea for changes to the street – we were also asked to place forward our concerns or comments about the proposed changes. As the residents affected by this roundabout we responded to the proposed changes, stating our concerns, these included that the roundabout will:
1. Cause increased congestion at peak times coming down Betula Avenue from Mckimmies Road;
2. Cause loss of all parking out the front of several homes;
3. Cause a number of serious safety concerns for the residents on the roundabout (hoon related behaviour);
4. Increase pollution from cars from increased braking and then acceleration; and
5. Remove an old tree that has been a part of Mill Park since its development.
Construction is expected to start in 2018/2019 and the Council have dismissed our concerns saying it is a minor inconvenience.
We ask for your support to stop the proposed construction of a roundabout at Betula Avenue and Belmont Way. We all strongly know that having 5 roundabouts within our streets is too much, and creating a new roundabout will only cause a larger issue and more inconvenience for all residents. Furthermore, we believe that speed humps would be a more appropriate option for the community.”
THAT Council resolve to receive the petition and a report be prepared for a future meeting.
6.1.1 Proposed Whittlesea Planning Scheme Amendment – 150 Epping Road, Epping.
File No: 195790
A Planning Scheme Amendment Request has been received from the owners of 150 Epping Road, Epping to rezone the land from Farming Zone to General Residential Zone – Schedule 1.
The subject site is a 2.032 hectare standalone parcel of Farming Zoned land. From a strategic perspective the land has been identified for residential purposes as part of the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan and Epping North Development Plan. Both plans are adopted strategic plans which are guiding the future development of the Epping North Growth Corridor.
All land immediately adjacent to the site was rezoned from farming to residential in late 2007 to reflect the strategic intent of the Epping North Growth Corridor. However, the subject site was excluded due to outstanding VCAT matters relating to the unauthorised removal of vegetation in 2005. Enforcement matters relating to the removal of the vegetation have now been resolved. As such, it is considered appropriate to commence the process to update the zoning of the site, to align with the supporting strategic planning outcomes and adjoining zones.
It is recommended that the Planning Scheme Amendment process be commenced, by requesting the Minister undertake the Amendment via Section 20(2) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. Amendments considered under Section 20(2) provide a level of exemption from notice and review requirements which is considered appropriate given the circumstance and intent of this Amendment. In the instance that this is not supported by the Minister, a standard Planning Scheme Amendment process would be undertaken.
SUBJECT SITE & SURROUNDS
The site is located to the east of Epping Road approximately 100 metres south of Harvest Home Road. The land comprises an area of 2.032 hectares and contains an existing dwelling (See Attachment 1).
At a broader level, the site is located within the Epping North Growth Corridor. The area is guided by the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan, an incorporated documents within the Whittlesea Planning Scheme.
The land to the south comprises the Hayston Valley Estate which has been fully developed. Land to the north and east comprise similar rural residential lots to that of the subject land – each containing single dwellings on lots approximately 2ha in size. Land to the west, opposite Epping Road, comprises the Epping Soccer Stadium precinct and Lyndarum Estate. Land to the north-east contains the regionally significant Al Siraat Islamic College.
The Harvest Home Local Structure Plan, approved in 2002, affects the area south of Harvest Home Road and north of Findon Road. It provides broad level strategic land use guidance for land within its boundaries. The HHLSP has nominated the site subject of this Amendment for the provision of residential development with the allocation of public open space for the retention of remnant river red gums (total of seventeen).
The site is also affected by the Development Plan Overlay (Clause 43.04). Pursuant to this, the Epping North Development Plan was approved in 2005 to build upon the high level guidance of the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan and provide more detailed land use planning. In accordance with the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan, the Epping North Development Plan implements the overall strategic intent for the site noted above.
Amendment C81 (Part 2) was gazetted in late 2007 to enable the rezoning of land immediately adjacent to and surrounding the site from Farming Zone to Residential 1 Zone to align with the strategic intent of the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan and Epping North Development Plan. The subject site was omitted from Amendment C81 (Part 2) following Council resolution in 2007, as a result of an outstanding VCAT matter relating to the unauthorised removal of fifteen of the seventeen River Red Gum trees that were nominated for retention within the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan and Epping North Development Plan. As a result of the omission from Amendment C81 (Part 2) the subject site is the only parcel of Farming Zone land within Harvest Home Local Structure Plan development area.
The protracted resolution of the legal matters was resolved through the recent execution of a Section 173 Agreement with the new owner of the land. The Section 173 Agreement sets out the requirements of the landowner to allocate 0.15ha of land for open space on the site, where the trees once stood, as well as paying native vegetation offsets to Council at the time the land becomes available for residential development. The reserve is approximately 5.6% of the developable area of the land, in accordance with the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan.
As the legal matters have now been resolved, it is considered appropriate to rezone land at 150 Epping Road, Epping from Farming Zone to General Residential Zone – Schedule 1 to accord with the strategic frameworks of the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan and Epping North Development Plan and the surrounding landholdings.
The residential designation of this site was envisaged within the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan and Epping North Development Plan, as was the retention of the remnant River Red Gums within an open space context.
The rezoning of the land as exhibited under Amendment C81 (Part 2) in 2006 was on the basis that seventeen River Red Gum trees at 150 Epping Road were to be retained.
The action of removing fifteen of the seventeen trees was, in itself, a serious contravention to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme and the strategic planning of the Epping North Growth Corridor. Given the ramifications were so significant, Council at the time determined to leave the subject site as Farming Zone until matters relating to the VCAT enforcement orders were resolved.
The delay of the compensation settlement has left the subject site as a parcel of rural land in a rapidly developing urban context. The undevelopable nature of the parcel has resulted in the site acting as an inhibitor to pedestrian permeability and traffic circulation for the broader development area.
Council officers and the new owner of the land have recently resolved the compensation matters by way of Section 173 Agreement. The owner is required to provide 0.15ha of public open space on the subject land, as well as making “offset” payments to Council as the land is developed. These payments will go towards future native vegetation offsets to be determined by Council at a later date. The public land will encompass the area generally proposed to be set aside in the location where the River Red Gums once stood. This is considered an appropriate outcome because it allows for development to front to open space and more importantly it upholds the integrity of the strategic frameworks by serving as a reminder of the significant vegetation that once stood here. With these matters resolved, Council now has the opportunity to align the zoning and complete the work initiated by Amendment C81 (Part 2).
Concerning the specific details of the Amendment, the zoning of the land to General Residential Zone - Schedule 1 is consistent with adjoining land holdings. This will ensure that the land is developed consistently with other development in its surrounding context, noting that there is also an approved Development Plan applying to the site and adjoining landholdings.
Notwithstanding the above, it is also the expectation of local residents and referral agencies that the land will one day be developed, as infrastructure connections (including street, drainage and power) from land surrounding the subject site have been constructed in accordance with the strategic frameworks. Furthermore, the development of the land as a result of the rezoning will also enable land for the future widening of Epping Road to be set aside and enable better development outcomes to be realised for the land immediately north of the site.
It is therefore considered appropriate that authorisation to prepare a Planning Scheme Amendment to rezone the land at 150 Epping Road should be requested from the Minister for Planning. Given the nature of the proposed Amendment and the fact that this is bringing the site in line with the intended purpose of the HHLSP and ENDP for the future development of the Epping North Growth Corridor, it is considered that full exhibition of the Amendment to adjoining residents and referral agencies would not serve any practical purpose. To this end it is recommended that Council seek that the Minister for Planning consider the Amendment under Section 20(2) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, whereby it is recommended that only Prescribed Ministers under the Act are notified. Alternatively, if the Minister was not supportive of any of the above, a full exhibition process would be required.
· September 2002: Approval of the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan;
· January 2005: Approval of the Epping North East Development Plan;
· July 2005: Fifteen river red gum trees are illegally removed from the site;
· August 2005: Council resolved to initiate prosecution and enforcement proceedings;
· December 2006: Enforcement Orders are made by VCAT;
· February 2007: Council resolves to exclude 150 Epping Road from Amendment C81 (Part 2);
· October 2007: Amendment C81 (Part 2) approved to rezone land adjacent to the subject site from Farming Zone to Residential 1 Zone;
· July 2017: Enforcement and compensation matters between Council and the new landowner are resolved; and
· September 2017: Request received to consider the rezoning of 150 Epping Road.
The proposed Amendment reflects the ambitions of an extensive set of Council policies.
Several notable Housing Diversity Strategic Objectives the Amendment responds to include:
· Provide housing opportunities in close proximity to services and facilities thereby creating opportunities for reduced car use.
· Foster healthy communities through development of ‘walkable’ communities.
· A more efficient use of existing infrastructure and investment.
The Amendment is consistent with the Municipal Strategic Statement and Local Policy Framework. Housing is identified 21.02-3 under Key Issues, to address the lack in provision of housing opportunities, it is an objective of the municipality to support housing in areas that already have the capacity to accommodate new development opportunities. The Amendment addresses this issue by providing housing adjacent to a key arterial road that already has access to public transport and is within walking distance to a number of community facilities.
The Amendment is also consistent with Clause 21.09 – Housing, as it directs housing growth in established suburbs of the municipality and will provide the opportunity for a broad range of housing types to be developed. These build upon the strategies and objectives of the State Government’s key Metropolitan Planning Strategy Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 particularly:
Direction 2.1 – Manage the supply of new housing in the right locations to meet population growth and create a sustainable city.
Direction 2.2 – Deliver more housing closer to jobs and public transport.
Direction 5.2 – Create neighbourhoods that support safe communities and healthy lifestyles.
Most importantly the Amendment is in accordance with Planning Practice Note 29 Ministerial Powers of Intervention, whereby the proposal is anomalous in nature and the rezoning of the land to residential will enable the development of the Epping North Growth Corridor as envisaged by the relevant strategic frameworks.
The proposed Amendment will provide more housing opportunities in an area that is easily connected to active and passive open space, and community and recreational facilities. As such it is considered that the Amendment will meet the objective to ‘help build our connection to place, the natural environment and the community’.
The site at 150 Epping Road, Epping is a standalone rural zoned parcel of land within an urban environment. Due to outstanding enforcement matters relating to the removal of significant native vegetation in 2005, the site has not been able to be rezoned and developed in accordance with the adopted and approved strategic documents of the area and surrounding landholdings.
As these matters have been resolved, it is considered appropriate that the rezoning process for the site commence to reflect the intended land use function for residential development as envisaged by the Harvest Home Local Structure Plan and Epping North Development Plan.
The rezoning will enable the site to complete important strategic links between community infrastructure, places and assets with adjoining landholdings in line with the endorsed strategic documentation.
It is noted that the proposed Amendment has no foreseeable adverse impact on the landowners/stakeholders within the immediate area. Therefore it is recommended that Council requests the Minister for Planning exempt the Amendment from notice and review to provide a more expedited process under 20(2) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. Should the Minister for Planning not support any level of exemption from notice and review, then a normal amendment process will be required.
1. Seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning to prepare and exhibit an amendment to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme under Section 20(2) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, to rezone land at 150 Epping Road from Farming Zone to General Residential Zone – Schedule 1, following receipt of the relevant statutory fee from the proponent;
2. If 1. above is not supported by the Minister for Planning, seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning to prepare and exhibit an amendment to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme, to rezone land at 150 Epping Road from Farming Zone to General Residential Zone – Schedule 1, under a standard amendment process;
3. Advise the proponent of 1 and 2 above.
6.1.2 Proposed Amendment to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme- 1470 Plenty Road, Mernda
File No: 164388
2 Mernda Strategy Plan extract ⇩
3 Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve Masterplan extract ⇩
4 Concept Intersection Design ⇩
The development of Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve and Mernda Aquatic and Indoor Sports Centre are important projects for the Mernda community as part of the implementation of the Mernda Strategy Plan (MSP).
Part of the site at 1470 Plenty Road, Mernda, has been identified in the MSP as being required to provide road access to the Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve and land for the Mernda Aquatic and Indoor Sports Centre. The road access will ultimately extend Everton Drive to Plenty Road and connection with Station Lane on the east side of Plenty Road. Part of the remaining balance of the site is proposed to form part of the Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve.
Council must acquire the land in order to facilitate the Mernda Aquatic and Indoor Sports Centre project. To date, the land has not been able to be secured through negotiation. Further, the land owner has no immediate plans to develop the property.
In order to compulsory acquire the land, a Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO) must be applied to identify that the land is proposed to be acquired for public purposes. The application of the PAO to the land requires an amendment to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme. The amendment will be publicly exhibited and the land owner notified.
Once the PAO has been applied, the land can be acquired in accordance with the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986. The land cannot be compulsory acquired until the PAO applies to the land.
Therefore, it is recommended that Council resolve to commence a Planning Scheme Amendment to apply the PAO to the land required for road and open purposes on the site at 1470 Plenty Road, Mernda.
The purpose of this report is to seek a Council resolution to commence a Planning Scheme Amendment to apply a Public Acquisition Overlay to part of the property at 1470 Plenty Road, Mernda. The report recommends Council seeks authorisation from the Minister for Planning to formally prepare and exhibit the Amendment.
The subject property is located at 1470 Plenty Road, Mernda (refer to Attachment 1). The property is divided by Plenty Road. The property comprises an area of 1.0849 hectares in total. The property contains a residential dwelling on the east side of Plenty Road.
The part of the property on the west side of Plenty Road is currently vacant.
The subject site is located within Precinct 3 of the Mernda Strategy Plan (refer to Attachment 2). The site is zoned part General Residential Zone and part Comprehensive Development Zone.
The land is partly affected by the proposed Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve (refer to Attachment 3).
The Mernda Strategy Plan (MSP) applies to the subject land. The MSP identifies part of the subject land (on the west side of Plenty Road) as forming part of the Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve. The MSP also identifies that a ‘Collector Road’ (extension of Everton Drive) will intersect with Plenty Road through the subject site. This will form the major road access into the Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve. The intersection will also provide a connection to Station Lane on the east side of Plenty Road through to the Mernda Town Centre. The intersection and road extension will provide an important connection in the road network in Mernda.
Projects including the land for the regional recreation reserve and the construction of the intersection are identified in the MSP Development Contributions Plan (MSP DCP). The land for the intersection is not identified as project in the MSP DCP.
Land will be required from the subject property on both sides of Plenty Road to provide sufficient land for the intersection.
Not all of the subject property will be subject to acquisition. Part of the property on the east side of Plenty Road (containing the residential dwelling) and a small portion in the south-west corner of the site (on west side of Plenty Road) are not required for these projects and therefore are not proposed to be acquired.
The Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve Master Plan provides a framework for the development of the recreation reserve. All land for the reserve has been acquired by Council except for the subject site.
The master plan identifies that the subject site is required for part of the aquatic centre/ indoor recreation centre and the extension of Everton Drive which will provide access to the reserve from Plenty Road.
Acquisition of the land is considered critical for the development of the recreation reserve and the Mernda Aquatic and Indoor Sports Centre project. Council has commenced consultation with the community with respect to this project which is expected to commence construction from 2020 onwards.
Therefore, it is important that the land is acquired in a timely manner to ensure that the Mernda Aquatic and Indoor Sports Centre project is not delayed. There is also the potential for the intersection works to be co-ordinated with the construction of the Plenty Road duplication project.
Officers have approached the landowner in respect to acquiring the land through negotiation. To date this has not been successful. Further, the land owner has no immediate plans to develop the property. Given the critical nature of the land, it is recommended that Council commence the process to compulsory acquire the land.
The first step in this process is to identify that the land is proposed to be acquired for public purposes through the application of the Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO). Once the PAO has been applied, the land can be acquired in accordance with the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986.
The PAO is the planning tool which used to identify land which is proposed to be acquired for a public purpose.
The proposed planning scheme amendment seeks to apply the PAO to part of the subject site. A PAO overlay will be applied to the land required for road purposes (intersection and road) on both sides of Plenty Road and the land required for open space purposes on the west side of Plenty Road, respectively. The PAO will not be applied to land not required for these projects.
The proposed Amendment will be required to be exhibited in accordance with s19 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. The land owner will be notified of the proposed Amendment as part of the exhibition.
Without application of the PAO, Council is unable to acquire the subject site. The PAO will identify that part of the land is proposed to be acquired by Council for road purpose and open space purposes.
The land required for open space will reflect the amount of land identified in the MSP and MSP Development Contributions Plan.
The land required for the road purpose will reflect the design of Everton Drive and Plenty Road intersection which affects the subject property on both sides of Plenty Road (refer to Attachment 4 for concept design). The ultimate intersection design (and consequently land required for acquisition) is subject to the approval of VicRoads.
The PAO also ensures that any use or development of the land which occurs prior to the land being acquired does not prejudice the ultimate use of the land.
Upon the land being identified for the purposes of public question, the land may be compulsory acquired in accordance with the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986.
· October 2004: Approval of the Mernda Strategy Plan
· January 2005: Approval of the Amended Mernda Strategy Plan
· January 2011: Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve Master Plan prepared
· May 2017: Community consultation on Mernda Aquatic and Indoor Sports Centre
The proposed Amendment implements a number of Council policies and strategies including:
· Council Plan - Shaping Our Future (2017-21)
· Mernda Strategy Plan (2008)
· Mernda Strategy Plan Development Contributions Plan (2008)
· Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve Master Plan (2011)
· Recreation Strategy (2012)
· Major Leisure and Facility Strategy (2014)
· Open Space Strategy (2016)
The proposed Amendment implements a number of local and state planning policies including:
· Clause 11.04-1 Open Space Planning
· Clause 21.04-4 Open Space Network
The proposed Amendment is strategically justified in accordance with Ministerial Direction 11 which will be further detailed in the Explanatory Report prepared for the Amendment. The PAO is the most appropriate tool to identify land to be acquired for a public purpose. The subject land has been strategically identified in the MSP for road and open space purposes
The application of the PAO to the subject property is critical to facilitating the development of the Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve and Mernda Aquatic and Indoor Sports Centre project. This project is important for the provision of recreational infrastructure for the Mernda community which encourages and provides for a healthy community.
Part of the subject site at 1470 Plenty Road is required to facilitate the future development of the Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve, Mernda Aquatic and Indoor Sports Centre and provide an important connection in the road network in Mernda.
The land is critical for this project as it provides access to the reserve from Plenty Road and contains land identified in the Mernda Regional Recreation Reserve master plan for the Aquatic and Indoor Sports Centre. Negotiations with the landowner for purchase of the land have been unsuccessful, therefore compulsory acquisition is necessary.
The first step required to acquire the land is to apply a PAO through an amendment to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme. Once the PAO has been applied to the relevant portion of the site, the land is able to be compulsory acquired in accordance with the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986.
Therefore, it is recommended that Council resolve to:
· Seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning to prepare and exhibit an amendment to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme, to apply the Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO) to part of the land at 1470 Plenty Road, Mernda for road and open spaces purposes.
THAT Council resolve to seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning to prepare and exhibit an amendment to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme, to apply the Public Acquisition Overlay to part of the land at 1470 Plenty Road, Mernda for road and open spaces purposes.
6.1.3 Cooper St West Position Paper
File No: 166310
Attachments: 1 Attachment 1 -Schedule of Changes to Cooper Street West Position Paper (June 2017) ⇩
2 Attachment 2 - Site Locality Plan - Sites Monitored ⇩
3 Attachment 3 - Amended Cooper Street West Position Paper (August 2017) ⇩
The purpose of this report is to respond to Council’s resolution of 27 June 2017.
The Cooper Street West Position Paper was presented and adopted by Council on 27 June 2017. At this meeting, the resolution also formally requested Council officers undertake further reporting to ensure that a reduction from the 500 metre default buffer (for identified sites under certain development conditions) does not pose any risk to Council.
A report was put to the Council meeting on 29 August 2017 but was deferred pending a Forum for Councillors to enable further consideration and discussion of the proposed changes. A Forum was held on 29 September 2017.
This report provides further details as to how landfill buffers affect the Cooper Street Precinct, the distances and encroachment measures and the recommendations made by an independent consultant on landfill gas buffers for selected sites in the Cooper Street West Precinct. The report details how the closed landfill gas buffer recommendations will be managed and implemented through the Cooper Street West Position Paper.
In addition, this report outlines how airborne (odour and dust) buffers are applied throughout the precinct and how these are managed in the Cooper Street West Position Paper. To reflect the importance of the waste and resource recovery industry to the Precinct and the continued support for these industries, this report recommends changes to the adopted Cooper Street West Position Paper (June 2017) to include additional references to the relevant EPA Publications for airborne buffers for the purposes of further strengthening Council’s position in relation to waste and resource recovery uses.
This report responds to Council’s resolution on the 27 June 2017 to seek a further report on the implications of reducing the default buffers applied to closed landfills that trigger a land fill gas risk assessment under EPA 788.2. (Environmental Management (Siting, Design, Operation and Rehabilitation of Landfills). It outlines how the closed landfill buffers are applied, the recommendations of the Cardno Land Gas Buffer Assessment report and the recommended implementation of the report to manage risk to Council, as outlined in the Cooper Street West Position Paper.
This report also outlines the requirements for airborne buffers which provides a separation distance from sensitive uses and thus supports a number of the existing industries within the precinct. This report recommends changes to the Cooper Street West Position Paper (June 2017) to include greater guidance for managing airborne buffers and existing/future waste and resource facilities (see Attachment 1 for Schedule of Changes).
The purpose of the Cooper Street West Position Paper was to establish Council’s position with respect to the future use and development of land in the precinct. The Cooper Street area is west of the Craigieburn Bypass. The Cooper Street West area is bounded by O’Herns Rd to the north, Hume Freeway to the east, Cooper St to the south and the Merri Creek to the west.
Cooper Street is the remaining land in the broader Cooper Street Employment Area yet to be planned. The precinct is important as the demand for employment land within the precinct is creating more interest and demand in Cooper Street West. Due to the Precinct’s complex history, including quarrying and landfilling, a Position Paper was prepared to provide greater certainty for landowners and potential developers. The paper informs landholders and potential developers of Council’s position and outlines the key planning considerations to be addressed. This strategic work is also designed to contribute to Council’s target of one job per household.
The Position Paper was developed in consultation with a number of state agencies, including the Environment Protection Authority, VicRoads and Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
The Draft Position Paper was released for public comment in April 2016 where there was general support, with only minor changes arising from the consultation process. A key change related to maintaining support for waste and resource recovery industries to continue in their current/location within the Precinct into the long term, recognising that technological advancements in this area support the location of these industries in urbanised environments. Further changes were made in response to recommendations made by Cardno Pty Ltd who conducted a Landfill Gas Buffer Assessment in relation to Council’s closed landfills following advice received from the Environment Protection Authority.
It is important to note that the Position Paper is not a statutory document; all planning proposals are required to be assessed under the Planning and Environment Act and other relevant legislation. The Position Paper simply outlines some of the matters that Council will be taking into account when considering the merits of a rezoning request or development application. In this context it is also worth noting that all waste and resource recovery uses (either existing or future uses) must comply with relevant environmental legislation to minimise off-site odour, dust or noise impacts on sensitive uses.
At the Council meeting of the 27 June 2017, the Cooper Street West Position Paper was presented and adopted by Council. There was discussion at the Council meeting around the implications of supporting a reduction in the default 500 metres closed landfill buffer to three properties within the precinct that were subject to a landfill gas risk assessment conducted by Cardno Pty Ltd. Council resolved at this meeting, to request Council officers “undertake a further report to ensure that a reduction from the 500 metre buffer does not pose any risk to Council.” This is discussed in further detail in the following section.
There are two types of buffers – closed landfill buffers and buffers for odour and dust emissions. These buffers exist to reduce the risk to human health however they have different legislative requirements and they apply differently (i.e. to ‘buildings and structures or ‘sensitive uses’). Each of these is explained separately below.
a) Closed landfill buffer
Landfill buffers apply to both active and closed landfills. Areas of former landfill that have ceased operation are subject to “closed landfill” buffers which apply to three closed landfills (two putrescible and one solid inert) to any “building or structure”, including industrial development and sensitive uses. These buffers address the potential risk of subsurface landfill gas migration. The key risks to sites adjoining closed landfills include: gas migration, leachate entering the ground water and land instability, and to a lesser extent odour.
The EPA Closed Landfill Guidelines (December 2012) identify that it takes approximately 30 years for landfills to decompose. Given the age of Council’s landfills which have been closed between 13-26 years, EPA advised that Council, as owners of the closed landfills, should consider conducting landfill gas risk assessments to determine the level of landfill gas risk on surrounding properties.
It is important to note that ‘closed landfill’ buffers are different to the buffers that apply to ‘active landfills’ where the main environmental risk is odour. The active landfill buffers apply to minimise the impact of landfills on sensitive uses.
Closed landfill buffer distances and encroachment
The EPA guidelines advise that any proposed developments and any works within the recommended closed landfill buffer is considered a potential safety risk by potentially providing preferential pathways for landfill gas migration, or providing an environment where landfill gases can accumulate to dangerous levels. These risks can remain for at least 30 years post-closure. The default landfill buffer is 500 metres from the landfill or the edge of the property.
Where the proposed development or planning scheme amendment would have the effect of allowing any development, buildings or works to encroach into the default closed landfill buffer area or increases the extent of development within the already encroached buffer area, EPA recommends that the planning or responsible authority require an environmental audit be conducted under Section 53V of the Environment Protection Act. A 53V audit can be avoided if other relevant information is provided. The purpose of the 53V audit is to assess the risk of harm to the proposed development posed by the potential offsite migration of landfill gas and amenity impacts resulting from the closed landfill.
The EPA advised that depending on the age and nature of the closed landfills, the default buffers which are applied to all closed landfills could be unnecessarily onerous for surrounding land holders. Council, as the owners of the landfills, should consider conducting a landfill gas buffer assessment to determine whether the default buffers can be reduced if the landfill gas risk is low.
Based on the advice of the EPA, Council engaged Cardno Pty Ltd to prepare a Landfill Gas Buffer Assessment for the closed landfills within Cooper Street West Precinct. The methodology conducted by Cardno in preparing the report has been reviewed and endorsed by the EPA.
Cardno Report Recommendations
The following properties are affected by the default buffers of closed landfills: 15 and 25 Vearings Rd, 315 O’Herns Rd, 410 Cooper St, 260 O’Herns Rd, 330 O’Herns Rd, 605 O’Herns Rd and 490 Cooper St.
However, only the following sites were monitored as these were determined to be the least constrained and most likely to be redeveloped: 410 Cooper St, 315 O’Herns Rd, 25 Vearings Rd. (see Attachment 2 – Site Locality Plan _Sites Monitored). The following sites affected by buffers but were not monitored for the following reasons: 490 Cooper St – ecological values, Council owned land earmarked for Open Space, 605 O’Herns Rd – high ecological values, 375 O’Herns Rd – active quarry operations, 330 O’Herns Rd – environmental offsets.
Landfill gas bores were drilled within 100 metres of Cooper Street landfill boundaries (eastern boundary of 480 Cooper St, eastern and northern boundaries of 335-355 O’Herns Rd and northern boundary of 490 Cooper St Epping) to assess the potential for Land Fill Gas (LFG) to be present at these locations and whether the buffer distance could be reduced from the default 500 metres. Twelve bores were installed on three sites with three LFG monitoring events conducted on each LFG bore. The report summarised that whilst there is some LFG present on the three sites within 100 metres of the boundaries of the Cooper Street landfills, it is at low concentrations, and does not appear to be under considerable driving pressure that would result in any significant LFG migration.
The Report (Landfill Gas Buffer Assessment 15 and 25 Vearings Rd, 315 O’Herns Rd and 410 Cooper St Epping V160682G Report 01.3) found that that the three sites monitored to be very low to low risk.
The Report recommended that based on the LFG monitoring results the default closed landfill buffer could be reduced from 500 metres to 100 metres for the following sites: 315 O’Herns Rd, 410 Cooper Street, 15 and 25 Vearings Rd Epping.
- beyond 100 metres of the property boundaries of the Cooper Street Landfills (at 410 Cooper St, 315 O’Herns Rd and 25 Vearings Rd) – no further LFG risk assessments and no mitigation measures are required (subject to a number of development assumptions) as discussed below.
- within 100 metres of the property boundaries of the Cooper Street Landfills (at 410 Cooper St, 315 O’Herns Rd and 25 Vearings Rd) – further LFG risk assessments are required on a building or site specific basis (prior to development) to show that LFG will not pose a risk (and that mitigation measures are not required) or LFG mitigation measures are required to be provided as recommended in The Report.
The Report is based on a number of assumptions including:
- the building types are commercial or industrial type buildings and structures as defined in the Report. It is also assumed that the proposed buildings and structures are unlikely to include any basements or underground car parks.
- The Report recommendations only relate to proposals for development of land for employment purposes and not for “sensitive” uses. The building type expected to be constructed at the three sites are either commercial or industrial type buildings or structures.
- If a proposal does not reflect the development assumptions of The Report, then further assessment works will be required by a suitably qualified environmental professional to assess the potential risk from LFG and required mitigation measures.
- The Report recommendation only relates to the three sites monitored, any proposed development proposed on other sites within the 500 metre buffer of the Cooper St Landfills should include a LFGRA as a precursor to any formal proposal for development/rezoning.
Implementation of closed landfill gas buffer recommendation
Noting the above, the Cooper Street West Position Paper provides a number of recommendations in relation to development within a landfill buffer and the management of any risk to Council in reducing the closed landfill buffer that triggers a landfill gas risk assessment.
To manage any risk to Council, the Cooper Street West Position Paper included the following recommendations for any proposed development within a closed landfill buffer:
· Ensure that any new development proposal meets the requirements identified in the Best Practice Environmental Management – Siting, design, operation and rehabilitation of landfills (EPA Publication 788.3 August 2015).
· To recognise and manage environmental risks associated with being within a closed landfill, closed landfill buffer and an active quarry buffer.
· Preliminary environmental site assessments are required prior to the development of employment uses. Preliminary environmental site assessments of land near landfills are required to determine whether there is potential contamination. Proposals will be required to propose mitigation of any risks identified and whether an environmental audit is required.
· Support appropriate development and uses, subject to satisfying the environmental risks and buffers associated with a closed landfill.
· A Landfill Gas Risk Assessment conducted at 315 O’Herns Rd and 410 Cooper St has identified that there is very low to low gas risk. The report - Landfill Gas Buffer Assessment 15 and 25 Vearings Rd, 315 O’Herns Rd and 410 Cooper St Epping V160682G Report 01.3 (Cardno, 2017) identifies that for certain developments beyond 100 metres of the property boundaries of the Cooper Street Landfills (east of 335 O’Herns Rd for sub-precinct 4), no further Landfill Gas Risk Assessment and no mitigation measures are required subject to meeting the recommendations of the report.
· Any proposed development within 15 and 25 Vearings Road and 315 O’Herns Rd and 410 Cooper Street should review the recommendations and data in the Landfill Gas Buffer Assessment 15 and 25 Vearings Rd, 315 O’Herns Rd and 410 Cooper St Epping (V160682GR Report 01.3, Cardno 2017) and engage a suitably qualified expert in Landfill Gas Risk Assessment to determine whether the proposal meets the recommendations for Council consideration.
· Development proposals should utilise the report - Landfill Gas Buffer Assessment 15 and 25 Vearings Rd, 315 O’Herns Rd and 410 Cooper St Epping (V160682GReport 01.3 (Cardno,2017) for data and recommendations in managing landfill gas risk in the precinct.
Within 100m of the property boundaries of the Cooper Street landfills applicants must either:
- Adopt the full range of landfill gas mitigation measures outlined in the Report - Landfill Gas Buffer Assessment 15 and 25 Vearings Rd, 315 O’Herns Rd and 410 Cooper St Epping V160682GReport 01.3 (Cardno, 2017).; or
- Undertake a LFGRA on a building or site specific basis (prior to development) to demonstrate that LFG will not pose a risk (and that mitigation measures are not required).
These recommendations will ensure that adequate consideration is given to the management of landfill gas risk at the rezoning/development stage. To provide further surety to Council, the Position Paper could be amended to specify that “technical studies to support rezoning applications prior to authorisation may be required”.
b) Odour and Dust Buffers for Waste and Resource Recovery Uses
In addition to the closed landfill buffers discussed above, which primarily relate to landfill gas risk, there are also odours and dust buffers. The EPA (under EPA Publication 1518) identifies these as “separation distance” buffers to “sensitive uses” which relate to off-site residual odour and dust emissions from industry. These are outlined in EPA Publication 1518, Recommended Separation Distances for Industrial Residual Air Emissions (EPA Victoria 2015) which aims to:
· protect human health and wellbeing, local amenity and aesthetic enjoyment
· protect existing industry from encroachment by sensitive uses
· prevent land adjacent to industry from being underutilised.
Other regulations and guidance relevant to the consideration of land use separation / buffers include:
· State Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality Management)
· State Environment Protection Policy (Control of Noise form Commerce, Industry and Trade) No.N-1
· The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 provides protection from nuisance, including from emissions that are or liable to be dangerous to health or offensive.
The guidelines have been developed to recognise that even with good pollution control technology and practice, there may still be unintended emissions which need to be anticipated and allowed for. However under the State Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality Management), it is the responsibility of the operator to ensure that off-site impacts from normal, day to day operations are contained within their property, while the recommended separation distances only exist to ensure that unintended or accidental emissions have sufficient distance to dissipate so as not to adversely impact on sensitive uses.
Unlike the closed landfill buffer which apply to all “buildings and structures” to manage landfill gas risks, these other buffers apply to “sensitive uses” to manage off-site amenity impacts and to prevent encroachment of sensitive uses.
A sensitive land use is defined by the EPA as ”Any land uses which require a particular focus on protecting the beneficial uses of the air environment relating to human health and wellbeing, local amenity and aesthetic enjoyment, for example residential premises, child care centres, pre-schools, primary schools, education centres or informal outdoor recreation sites.”
The Whittlesea Planning Scheme also contains “threshold distances” in Clause 52.10 of the Planning Scheme which seeks to ensure that certain industries are designed and located a suitable distance from a “sensitive use” so as not to cause offence or unacceptable risk. The threshold distances generally apply to odour, dust, noise and vibration.
The Cooper Street Position Paper does not seek to vary any of the above separation or threshold distances or remove regulations, policies or guidance relevant to the consideration of land use separation for environmental protection.
Role of green waste facilities and other resource recovery facilities
The Cooper Street West Position Paper provides support for waste resource recovery facilities. It is recognised that over time, the industry will move towards higher technological processing and be contained ‘in-vessel’ rather than ‘open window’ operations, which will significantly reduce the potential for off-site impacts.
As described above, there are a range of different buffers that apply for different purposes. Historically green waste facillitates have tended to locate in/near landfills (closed or active) to take advantage of the buffers that apply to landfills to minimise the risk of sensitive uses encroaching on them.
Reducing the closed landfill buffer (for landfill gas risk) will not result in any sensitive uses being developed closer to these green waste facilities. On the contrary, the Cooper Street West Position Paper reinforces the precinct’s suitability for future employment/enterprise purposes. The Position Paper supports the continuing use for waste/resource recovery. All industries including waste resource recovery industries need to comply with relevant EPA requirements and adopt best practice to minimise off-site impacts.
The Position Paper does not recommend the deviation from any other buffers or separation distances to “sensitive uses”. Both the Planning and Environment Act and the Whittlesea Planning Scheme require consideration of the environmental impact of proposals on human health, including consideration of EPA’s recommended minimum separation distances. This requirement will still apply and Council will have an opportunity to consider these issues as part of any future rezoning or development application.
Further, the Cooper Street West Position Paper recognises the importance of protecting the existing waste and resource recovery uses in the Cooper Street West area by identifying the following:
· Recognise the adjoining waste and resource recovery precinct to the west and possible incompatible developments.
· To recognise the impacts of existing uses on any new developments, including the risk of gas migration, noise, odour and dust emissions.
· To refer to EPA Publication 1588 - Designing, constructing and operating composting facilities, when considering potential changes to land use near the existing composting facility.
· New development should be designed to mitigate the potential offsite impacts of nearby waste and resource recovery operations.
These recommendations seek to provide consideration of waste resource recovery uses, including green waste facilities. This can be strengthened further by including/amending the adopted Position Paper to include the following additional recommendations:
· Support existing and new waste and resource recovery uses in this precinct to support the status of the sub-precinct as being a waste and resource recovery hub of state significance.
· Amend reference to The designing, constructing and operating composting facilities EPA Publication 1588 to apply to any existing composting facility/facilities.
· Support new development in accordance with Recommended Separation Distances for Industrial Residual Air Emissions EPA Publication 1518.
· For Precinct 4 recognise the adjoining waste and resource recovery precinct to the west and possible incompatible developments.
The Cooper Street West Position Paper outlines the planning considerations for the Precinct, including information which may assist an applicant proposing a development. The Position Paper is not a statutory document and does not override any statutory controls or other relevant regulations.
As outlined earlier, the Cardno Landfill Gas Risk Assessment Report site investigations found the landfill gas risk levels at the sites monitored to be very low to low risk and recommended that the landfill buffer could be reduced from 500m to 100m (for the monitored sites) subject to meeting the development assumptions in the report. The report also makes recommendations about how development applications within the 100m should be managed, including further landfill gas assessments.
The Position Paper recommends the engagement of a suitably qualified professional to provide the necessary expertise to advise on the suitability of any development proposal against the information provided in The Report (Cardno). The Position Paper recommends an independent assessment and the Cardno report provides baseline data which will inform further assessments for future applicants.
In terms of the implications for existing uses and in particular the existing green waste facilities within the nominated Earth Resources and Waste Recovery sub-precinct, the Position Paper does not recommend any changes to the recommended EPA separation distances, rather it provides greater support in continuing these operations. The necessary separation distances will be considered as part of any new development proposal as is required under the relevant legislation.
The Position Paper has been further updated to clarify the application of The Report and the application of EPA separation distances (see Attachment 3 for Amended Cooper Street West Position Paper (August 2017).
Minor Administrative Changes to Position Paper
It is also proposed to amend the adopted Position Paper to address some minor administrative matters. In particular, to ensure ease of reference and ensure all of the recommendations listed under each sub-precinct are included in the Summary of Recommendations in Chapter 10 of the Position Paper.
This report has been prepared for information only and no additional consultation was required.
EPA Publication 788.2 Siting, Design, Operation and Rehabilitation of Landfills (EPA Victoria 2014).
EPA Publication 1518, Recommended Separation Distances for Industrial Residual Air Emissions (EPA Victoria 2015).
EPA Publication 1495, Separation distances for large composting facilities EPA Victoria, (EPA Victoria 2012).
EPA Publication 1588, Designing, constructing and operating composting facilities (EPA Victoria 2015).
Planning and Environment Act.
State Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality Management).
State Environment Protection Policy (Control of Noise form Commerce, Industry and Trade) No.N-1.
The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
Strategic Objective The changing demographics and needs of our municipality are monitored to provide, facilitate and/or advocate for appropriate services and infrastructure
This report demonstrates good governance by responding to concerns regarding possible risk to Council.
Council resolved to adopt the Cooper Street West Position Paper on the 29 June 2017 with a request that Council officers undertake further reporting to ensure that a reduction from the 500 metre default buffer does not pose any risk to Council. The Position Paper has been developed to provide guidance for landholders.
It is not a statutory document which overrides other statutes, as such all planning applications will be assessed according to the requirements of the Planning and Environment Act and Whittlesea Planning Scheme.
The Cooper Street West Position Paper recognises the complexity in assessing landfill gas risk and provides detailed recommendations regarding appropriate measures. The Position Paper recommends that any proposed development within a closed landfill buffer include an assessment by a suitably qualified landfill gas risk professional. For sites monitored in the Landfill Gas Buffer Assessment 15 and 25 Vearings Rd, 315 O’Herns Rd and 410 Cooper St Epping V160682GReport 01.3 (Cardno, 2017), the Position Paper still recommends that any proposed development include an assessment by a suitably qualified landfill gas risk profession to identify whether the proposal meets the recommendations of the Report.
This recommendation will ensure any risk to Council in reducing the default closed landfill buffer is managed appropriately. The Cooper Street West Position Paper also recognises the value of the waste resource recovery industry to the municipality and highlights its continuing use into the future. To further strengthen Council’s Position in relation the aforementioned issues, the Position Paper has been amended to:
· Include reference to EPA Publication 1518 and 1588 where appropriate.
· Ensure recommendations made for each sub-precinct are reflected in the Summary of Recommendations under Chapter 10 (Conclusions) of the Amended Position Paper (August 2017).
· Ensure all recommendations made in the Summary of Recommendations under Chapter 10 (Conclusions) are reflected under the relevant sub-precinct recommendations for ease of reference.
· Include a new recommendation which advises that technical studies may be required to support rezoning applications.
The proposed changes to the Position Paper will strengthen the support for waste resource recovery industry uses in the precinct. Notwithstanding the default closed landfill buffer being reduced in the adopted Cooper Street West Position Paper (June 2017), the proposed changes will ensure that when formal rezoning requests or planning permit applications are submitted to Council, applicants will be required to submit the relevant technical reports. Such technical reports will ensure adequate consideration is given to the landfill gas risks associated with development near a closed landfill.
It is therefore recommended that Council amend the Cooper Street West Position Paper to include the schedule of changes in Attachment 1 and adopt that as the Position Paper.
1. Amend the Cooper Street West Position Paper, adopted by Council on 27 June 2017, to include the schedule of changes in Attachment 1.
2. Adopt Amended Cooper Street West Position Paper (August 2017).
6.1.4 2017/18 First Quarter New Works Program Report
3 Planning and Feasibility Status Report ⇩
This report provides an overview of the financial performance and status of the New Works Program at the end of the first quarter of the 2017/18 financial year.
The value of work completed at the end of the first quarter is $5,691,895 compared to the budget of $5,867,709. The underspend is due to some projects being delayed due to inclement weather, however, it is anticipated that the warmer months should see projects progress and completed within the anticipated timeframes. In addition, there are contracts and purchase orders committing another $22,251,535 as at 30 September 2017, which shows a good level of delivery preparedness for the remainder of the financial year. Refer to Attachment 1.
The first quarter includes many projects that have been finalised from the previous financial year as well as the commencement of design and construction of new projects in the 2017/18 financial year. Some significant milestones achieved during the first quarter include:
· Completion of the Barry Road Community Activity Centre, Thomastown;
· Completion of the RGC Cook Reserve Pavilion Upgrade; and
· Completion of the A.F Walker Reserve Sportsfield Lighting.
The following projects have made significant progress in the first quarter of 2017/18.
· Upgrade to Shared Path on Darebin Creek;
· Findon Road Bridge Concrete Deck Overlay Across Darebin Creek;
· Construct Concrete Deck Overlay on Findon Road Across Findon Creek;
· Roundabout Modification at Centenary/Bradley Drive, Mill Park; and
· Roundabout Modification at Centenary/Hinkler Drive, Mill Park.
Significant projects scheduled for commencement in the second quarter of 2017/18 include:
· Commencement of early works for construction of two soccer pitches and pavilion at Lalor West Reserve; and
· Commencement of early works for construction of two soccer pitches and pavilion at Doreen South Reserve;
Council adopted the 2017/18 New Works Program budget on 6 June 2017 with the total budget of $47,979,270 plus $11,844,944 carry forward providing a total New Works Program budget for 2017/18 of $59,824,214 million.
A summary of progress of projects by Group can be found below whilst a description on key projects has been included in Attachment 2.
Financial details for contracts within each project are provided through tender and contract closure reports to Council.
2,974,589
18,258,904
The Buildings category is currently showing expenditure behind schedule of $119,801 compared to the Year To Date budget.
· Redevelopment of Mill Park Leisure Services Centre – This project is tracking behind the planned budget due to design delays.
The Drains category is currently showing an overspend of $94,420 to the Year to Date budget due to the Queenscliff Road and Michigan Terrace Drainage project being more advanced than originally planned. Timing issue only.
The Planning and Feasibility category has an underspend variance of $61,630 compared to the Year to Date budget that are purely timing issues. Refer to Attachment 3 for a status report on the Planning and Feasibility Program which was last presented to Council in a memo dated 20 July 2017.
(405,338)
17,510,873
The Open Space category is currently showing an overspend of $405,338 compared to the Year To Date budget which are timing issues of projects being more advanced than originally planned when the budgets were phased..
The key projects contributing to the variance are:
· Renewal of playgrounds and general landscape improvements – The playground renewal program is tracking ahead of the planned budget which includes some playgrounds funded from the Growing Suburbs Fund.
· Upgrade tennis courts and pavilion at TH Hurrey Reserve – The works have been able to be progressed earlier than expected following VicRoads agreement to intersection works at the entrance to the Reserve.
· Upgrade tennis courts and pavilion at Lalor Tennis Club – Works are progressing ahead of the planned Year to Date budget.
· Sportfield Lighting Upgrades – Designs and works have commenced earlier than anticipated following the completion of winter sports at the Reserves.
3,470,384
The Plant and Equipment category is currently showing an underspend of $106,040 compared to the Year To Date budget. This is mainly due to the timing for the replacement of motor vehicles and a number of smaller favourable variances compared to the YTD budget.
The Transport category is currently showing an overspend of $192,274 compared to the Year To Date budget due to projects being more advanced than originally planned. This is a timing issue.
· Roundabout modification at Centenary/Bradley Drive, Mill Park – Works progressed slightly earlier than anticipated due to the awarding of a contract in conjunction with another roundabout modification in close proximity.
16,707,136
The Roads and Paths category is currently showing an underspend of $580,649 compared to the Year To Date budget. However, further contracts and commitments of $5,583,407 indicate that this category has a high degree of preparedness for delivery in the coming warmer months.
The key project contributing to the variance was:
· Upgrade shared path – Darebin Creek – Pathway works have been completed slightly ahead of plan with landscaping works to follow.
· Construct shared path – McDonalds Road (north side) Darebin Creek to Civic Drive – Design has been completed however construction works have been rescheduled to drier months to reduce the impact on the road reserve.
· Traffic signals – Yan Yean/Cookes Road intersection – Project delayed due to the need to re-tender following the cancellation of the previous contract. Construction is expected to commence early 2018.
The Planning and Feasibility Program is designed to allow for adequate planning, scoping, budgeting and scheduling of future projects to ensure projects are correctly scoped and ready for delivery in future years. Planning for future infrastructure projects is vital for the accurate scoping and costing of works and also provides the opportunity to take advantage of grant funding as it becomes available. Forward planning also ensures that sufficient feasibility work and thorough project briefs and business cases are prepared for future projects.
The 2017/18 New Works Program provides a budget of $330,000 for the planning and feasibility of future projects. Attachment 3 provides an update on the status of the Planning and Feasibility Program for 2017/18.
There have been a number of minor changes to the New Works Program confirmed over the last quarter which are detailed below:
· Sycamore Reserve Change Room and Amenities (PID # 2164) – As per memo to Council dated 9 September 2017, additional funding of $53,000 is required to complete project – funded from Peter Lalor Secondary College Redevelopment (PID # 2057) which is not proceeding;
· Construction of concrete deck overlay and associated works over Findon Creek and Darebin Creek (PID # 2116 and 2124) – As per the Council Report on 29 August 2017 additional funding is required due to higher contract prices than budget. The budget shortfall to be funded through increased Roads to Recovery funding ($70,000), Roadside Hazard Protection (PID # 1448), Traffic Control Devices (PID # 443) and Roads Part Constructed (PID # 1592);
· Land Acquisition Feasibility for Depot Relocation – It is proposed to undertake a feasibility study for the Depot relocation in future years at a cost of $10,000. This work is proposed to be included in the Planning and Feasibility Program (PID # 1847) as part of the 2017/18 program of works (pending Council approval of this report);
· All Abilities Playspace (PID # 2192) – As per the Council Report on 8 August 2017 additional funding is required ($75,000) for additional design works in-line with the Growing Suburbs Funding application - funded from Peter Lalor Secondary College Redevelopment (PID # 2057) which is not proceeding.
Progress of works in the second quarter will accelerate as contracts are awarded and weather conditions improve for construction works in the lead-up to the industry shutdown and holiday period in December / January.
FUTURE DIRECTION Organisational Sustainability
Theme Good governance
Strategic Objective Continuous improvement
This report provides a summary of the status of the 2017/18 New Works Program. A continuous improvement program is being implemented to enhance systems, processes and practices to improve the planning and delivery of the New Works Program. Overall the New Works Program is on track and is providing much needed community infrastructure across the municipality.
1. Note the progress of the New Works Program for the first quarter of the 2017/18 financial year; and
2. Approve the re-allocation of project funds within the 2017/18 New Works Program as follows:
· Increase Sycamore Reserve Change Room and Amenities project (PID# 2164) by $53,000;
· Increase the budget for the Construction of the concrete deck overlay and associated works over Findon Creek and Darebin Creek (PID# 2116 & 2124) by $204,997. Additional funding to be offset by an increase in Roads to Recovery funding ($70,000), Roadside Hazard Protection (PID # 1448), Traffic Control Devices (PID # 443) and Roads Part Constructed (PID # 1592) – $134,997, as per Council Report on 29 August 2017; and
· Increase the All Abilities Playspace project (PID# 2192) by $75,000 as per Council Report on 8 August 2017.
6.2.1 Welcoming Cities
File No: 194065
Attachments: 1 Welcoming Cities Network Commitment ⇩
The City of Whittlesea’s participation within the National Welcoming Cities Network is tabled for Council’s consideration.
Developed in partnership with the Scanlon Foundation; Welcoming Cities is a national and global movement which aims to foster and build harmonious, connected and cohesive communities through supporting newly arrived migrants, economic and business development at a local level.
Joining Welcoming Cities will provide Council with a framework that will strengthen our capacity to deliver our multicultural policies and strategies that aim to support social cohesion, deliver anti-racism measures and maintain a prosperous, harmonious community.
Participation in the Welcoming Cities Network is congruent with Council’s existing commitments such as being a signatory to the Refugee Welcome Zone, Asylum Seeker Policy and recently adopted Economic Development Strategy. Meaningful and mutually beneficial participation within the Welcoming Cities Network involves a commitment to four core elements:
These four elements can be achieved within Council’s current resourcing and will provide an opportunity to showcase the unique and promising practice being undertaken in the multicultural and economic development portfolios.
By committing to participate in the Welcoming Cities Network Council undertakes to:
· Identify one or more officers to be the project liaison with the Welcoming Cities team.
· Communicate regularly with the Welcoming Cities team through at least three conference calls each year and an annual in-person meeting, to progress planning and share and learn from practices of other welcoming cities and communities.
· Consider in the near future, the benefits to Council of adopting Welcoming Cities Accreditation/Certification framework that is currently in the process of being developed.
Launched in March 2016 the Welcoming Cities Network is an initiative of the Scanlon Foundation and partners. Welcoming Cities is a global movement which aims to foster and build harmonious, connected and cohesive communities through supporting newly arrived migrants, economic and business development at a local level.
Established in 2001 the Scanlon Foundation has pursued a mission to support the advancement of Australia as a welcoming, prosperous and cohesive nation. The Foundation recognises that, apart from our Aboriginal community, all other Australians are migrants. To achieve its commitment of improving social cohesion the Foundation is a regular funder of local government and community led projects such as the Welcoming Cities movement.
Currently Hume City Council, Moreland City Council and the City of Greater Bendigo have joined the Welcoming Cities Network and many other Victorian Councils are considering joining the network. Several regional Victorian Councils have publicly spoken about the use of Welcoming Cities as a mechanism to attract migrants and humanitarian entrants to stimulate population growth, business development and address labour market shortages. At the national level, the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) recently considered a motion endorsed by City of Whittlesea Councillors supporting the Welcoming Cities initiative.
Welcoming Cities seeks to create welcoming and inclusive communities that address and embrace the challenges and opportunities of migrant/refugee settlement. Joining Welcoming Cities will provide Council with a framework that will strengthen our capacity to deliver our multicultural policies and strategies that aim to support social cohesion, deliver anti-racism measures and maintain a prosperous, harmonious community. It will support the City of Whittlesea in planning, building and sustaining welcoming programs and practices.
Joining the Welcoming Cities Network is in line with Council’s commitment as a Refugee Welcome Zone signed in 2002. As a Refugee Welcome Zone Council has made a commitment to welcome refugees, uphold their human rights, demonstrate compassion and enhance cultural and religious diversity.
This is in keeping with Council’s commitment to promoting harmony, building support for diversity and reducing race-based discrimination, which in turn is key to building healthy people and communities.
Participation in the Welcoming Cities Network will also contribute towards meeting the Key Directions identified in Council’s recently adopted Economic Development Strategy specifically:
· Strive to build a healthy, prosperous and resilient community.
· Promote the municipality as an attractive destination to invest, work, visit and enjoy.
That Council endorse the ‘Commitment to participate in the Welcoming Cities Network’ (see Attachment 1)
Joining the Welcoming Cities Network is in line with Council’s Multicultural Action Plan 2014-2018 which was developed following a comprehensive consultation process including a series of consultations in relation to issues impacting CALD communities, local refugee communities, and the multicultural services sector. Groups consulted included a diverse range of stakeholders and local peak bodies; such as established, newly arrived and emerging communities, women, seniors and youth.
There are no financial implications associated with joining the Welcoming Cities Network.
There is an existing policy and legislative framework within both the Victorian government and City of Whittlesea that support initiatives such as the Welcoming Cities Network specifically:
The Victorian Government’s Multicultural Policy; Victorian. And Proud of it specifically states the Victorian Government’s intention to engage with local councils on the important role they play in promoting and supporting multiculturalism in Victoria and fostering social inclusion.
The Multicultural Victoria Act 2011 fosters mutual understanding and respect for all Victorians regardless of their cultural, linguistic or religious background to ensure full social, economic, civic and cultural participation.
Economic Development Strategy: Growing our economy together.
The City of Whittlesea Economic Development Strategy aims to achieve its vision by inter alia “promoting the municipality as an attractive destination to invest and work in, visit and play’.
The City of Whittlesea Multicultural Policy Statement stipulates; ‘The City of Whittlesea will provide leadership in local multicultural issues and is committed to inclusiveness and engagement with culturally and diverse communities’.
Welcoming Cities is in line with Council’s commitment as a Refugee Welcome Zone, signed in 2002. As a Refugee Welcome Zone, Council has made a commitment to welcome refugees, uphold their human rights, demonstrate compassion and enhance cultural and religious diversity. This is in keeping with Council’s commitment to promoting harmony, building support for diversity and reducing race-based discrimination, which in turn is key to promoting healthy people and communities.
Strategic Objective New and emerging communities are supported
Together these State Government legislative and policy parameters coupled with Council’s local level commitments and associated action plans provide a coordinated foundation for Council’s successful participation within the Welcoming Cities Network.
Participation within the Welcoming Cities Network movement has both operational relevance and a symbolic significance, demonstrating that the City of Whittlesea continues its long history of supporting the multicultural community it serves; whilst simultaneously delivering on its economic development objectives of building the economic capacity of the local area to improve the economic future and quality of life for all.
Whilst we have an enviable record in creating strong social cohesion, it’s important for Council to continue to innovate in this space. Challenges include evidence that discrimination on the basis of skin colour, ethnicity or religion in Victoria is growing rapidly from 15% in 2015 to 20 % in 2016 (Mapping Social Cohesion Survey 2016). The same survey also reported that 25% of the community express negative attitudes towards Muslims.
By joining Welcoming Cities Council will be in a position to share in the advantages of:
· Sharing knowledge and information via an international clearing house of research, case studies and practice that will be established.
· Being part of a facilitated Partnership Development initiative that will broker meaningful multi-sector partnerships that foster a sense of belonging and participation for all members of the community.
· Celebrating success by showcasing leading practices through case studies and a national award that acknowledges welcoming efforts.
· Considering in time, the benefits to Council of joining an international accreditation/ certification framework that is currently in the process of being developed by Welcoming Cities.
As stated by the Welcoming Cities Network; ‘Welcoming is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.’ It is clear that those municipalities that proactively foster an environment of belonging and participation for all community members increase their social cohesion, their resilience and their economic capability.
THAT Council resolve to participate in the Welcoming Cities Network.
6.2.2 Health and Wellbeing Partnership Plan 2017-2021
File No: 118885
Attachments: 1 Health and Wellbeing Partnership Plan 2017-2021 ⇩
2 HWPP Steering Committee Terms of Reference ⇩
The Health & Wellbeing Partnership Plan (HWPP) provides a roadmap to guide integrated planning for health and wellbeing across the City of Whittlesea for the period 2017-21. The HWPP reflects the structure of the City of Whittlesea Community Plan and details specific actions and partnerships across ten focus areas for an initial two year period.
The HWPP development process undertaken reflects requirements outlined in the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and policy alignment at both a state and regional level. Council is required to adopt a Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan within 12 months of the election of a new Council. The HWPP is informed by a review of data and evidence-based interventions and gives priority to issues and opportunities identified through Council and Community Plan consultations and extensive consultation with internal and external stakeholders.
A prevention approach to planning focusses on factors that influence health outcomes, beyond the health service system, in the wider social, economic built and natural environment such as employment, transport and housing. As such it addresses complex, long term community issues which require concerted effort over time. Whilst there has been significant progress over the period of the previous Health Plan (2013-2017), many of the priorities for action, such as community building, community safety, family violence and gambling continue into this Plan and are likely to be reflected in municipal health planning processes for the foreseeable future.
The term ‘partnership’ in the HWPP title is used deliberately to emphasis that a collective and sustained approach is needed by all key stakeholders to make an impact on long term community health and wellbeing. A HWPP Committee, with representation from key community and health sector organisations, has been established to guide a strategic and integrated approach to priority setting, implementation and evaluation of the HWPP. This approach maximises opportunities for collective effort and alignment with local and regional partner priorities.
The HWPP proposes a two year planning cycle to provide adequate time to establish the “building blocks” for new areas of work. A review and refinement of the HWPP is scheduled for 2019.
Council has a statutory and civic responsibility to plan strategically to enable people living in the municipality to achieve maximum health and wellbeing.
The HWPP was developed through a rigorous process including examination of data about health status and health determinants contributing to local health outcomes, evaluation of interventions undertaken for the previous Health Plan (2013-17), and extensive consultation with community stakeholders.
An evaluation plan has been developed to monitor progress, measure impact and track longer term outcomes. This will inform refinements to the Plan for the 2019-2021 period.
The development of the HWPP is a major initiative of the Council Plan 2017-21 - Shaping Our Future for the 2017/18 period and details specific actions and partnerships across ten focus areas for an initial two year period.
The HWPP is designed to reflect and support work across Council departments and external partner organisations, with an integrated approach to planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The HWPP brings together actions drawn from a range of strategies and initiatives across Council where there is alignment in outcomes sought.
Health and Wellbeing Partnership Plan overview
The focus areas of the HWPP are closely aligned with the Council priorities of the Council Plan 2017-21 - Shaping Our Future. The HWPP reflects the structure of Shaping Our Future Whittlesea 2030 Strategic Community Plan and the Future Directions and Themes provide the framework within which the health actions sit.
The framework for the HWPP provides a transparent line of sight with both the strategic objectives of Shaping Our Future Whittlesea 2030 Strategic Community Plan and Council Plan 2017-21 - Shaping Our Future, the policy intent of the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2015-2019 and alignment with public health priorities of regional and local partner organisations.
The HWPP outlines a strategic approach to maximising health and wellbeing in the City of Whittlesea through ten focus areas as follows:
1. Create safe and welcoming community environments
2. Support safe sustainable travel
3. Increase employment and financial wellbeing
4. Facilitate access to green open space across the life course
5. Facilitate equitable access to recreation opportunities
6. Implement initiatives that address community safety, emergency management and violence against women and their children
7. Implement responsive prevention approaches
8. Improve reach of early intervention and screening programs
9. Enhance access to healthy and affordable food and promote water as drink of choice
10. Strengthen equity approach to planning
HWPP Governance
A Steering Committee has been formed to oversee the implementation and evaluation of the HWPP. The Steering Committee includes senior representatives of:
· Key Council Directorates
· Plenty Valley Community Health
· Hume Whittlesea Primary Care Partnership
· Women’s Health In the North
· Eastern Melbourne Primary Heath Network
· DHHS Northern region
Refer Attachment 2: HWPP Steering Committee Terms of Reference
That Council adopt the attached Health and Wellbeing Partnership Plan 2017-2021.
That Council appoint a Councillor, and a substitute, to sit on the HWPP Steering Committee through the annual appointment to committees process in November.
Extensive internal and external consultation occurred in the planning stage through meetings and stakeholder workshops and a survey from May through to July 2017.
The HWPP was also informed by a review of consultations undertaken for the development of the Council Plan 2017-21 - Shaping Our Future and Shaping Our Future Whittlesea 2030 Strategic Community Plan, and an analysis of annual household survey data and comments for the 2013-2017 period. Stakeholder consultations relating to specific new and emerging issues were also conducted.
The draft Plan was released for stakeholder feedback and broader community feedback during September/October 2017 through the have your say page of the Council website.
Proactive posts reached 9,792 people through Facebook and 1,593 people were reached through Twitter.
Respondents were given the option of completing a short survey or the option of making a formal public submission. The majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that specific actions will contribute to positive health outcomes for the City of Whittlesea community.
Under the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, each Council is required to produce a Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan within 12 months of the election of a new Council.
The HWPP details specific actions and partnerships across ten focus areas for an initial two year period. An evaluation plan has been developed to monitor progress, measure impact and track longer term outcomes. Refinement of the HWPP and reporting to Council will occur on an annual basis.
The Plan brings together actions drawn from a range of strategies and initiatives across Council where there is alignment in outcomes sought. In many instances this reflects existing work which has already been budgeted for or strengthening of existing work which can be undertaken within existing resources. Partnership opportunities will be explored with external stakeholders in order to pool resources where joint priorities exist.
Where required actions in the first two year period may focus primarily on establishing building blocks, which will be essential to progressing action in the 2019-2021 period.
Local government is required to undertake municipal public health and wellbeing planning under the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008. The Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (MPHWP) is a strategic plan that sits alongside and integrates with the Council Plan 2017-21 - Shaping Our Future and other strategic plans of community partners with an interest in community health and wellbeing. A MPHWP outlines actions to enable people living in the municipality to achieve maximum health and wellbeing.
In line with section 26 of the Act the MPHWP must:
· include an examination of data about health status and health determinants in the municipal district.
· identify goals and strategies based on evidence for creating a local community in which people can achieve maximum health.
· provide for involvement of people in the local community in the development, implementation and evaluation of the public health plan.
· specify how the council will work in partnership with the Department of Health and other agencies undertaking public health initiatives, projects and programs to accomplish the goals identified in the public health plan.
· be consistent with the Council Plan prepared under section 125 of the Local Government Act 1989; and the municipal strategic statement prepared under section 12A of the Planning and Environment Act 1987.
The Act requires that that Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans have regard to the State Health Plan, the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2015-2019.
The State Government requires Councils to take measures under recommendation 94 of the Royal Commission into Family Violence report to reduce family violence and respond to the needs of victims in preparing their Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing plans for the 2017-2021 planning cycle. Council also has obligations under s.14 of the Climate Change Act 2010 to consider climate change during the preparation of a Plan. All of the above have been considered and incorporated into the City of Whittlesea HWPP.
The development of the HWPP is a major initiative of the Council Plan 2017-21 - Shaping Our Future for the 2017/18 period.
The HWPP is designed to reflect and support work across Council departments and external partner organisations, with an integrated approach to planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The HWPP brings together actions drawn from a range of strategies and initiatives across the Council Plan 2017-21 - Shaping Our Future where there is alignment in outcomes sought.
The Plan reflects the priorities of the Council Plan 2017-21 - Shaping Our Future and the structure and Future Directions of Shaping Our Future Whittlesea 2030 Strategic Community Plan:
· Inclusive and engaged community
· Growing our economy
· Places and spaces to connect people
Evaluation has been built into the planning process and measures identified for all actions. These are drawn where relevant from the Victorian Public Health Outcomes Framework and City of Whittlesea Community Wellbeing Indicators.
Under the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, Council is required to produce a Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan within 12 months of the election of a new Council.
The HWPP development process undertaken reflects requirements outlined in the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and policy alignment at both a State and regional level. The HWPP is informed by a review of data and evidence-based interventions and gives priority to issues and opportunities identified through Council and Community Plan consultations and extensive consultation with internal and external stakeholders.
The HWPP provides a roadmap to guide integrated planning for health and wellbeing across the City of Whittlesea for the period 2017-21. The HWPP reflects the structure of the City of Whittlesea Community Plan and details specific actions and partnerships across ten focus areas for an initial two year period.
1. Adopt the Health and Wellbeing Partnership Plan 2017-2021.
2. Appoint a Councillor, and a substitute for the HWPP 2017-2021 Steering Committee.
3. Lodge the HWPP 2017-2021 with the Department of Health and Human Services.
6.3.1 City of Whittlesea Road Safety Strategy 2017
File No: SU/153032
Attachments: 1 Road Safety Strategy 2017 (distributed separately - refer to p.9) ⇨
Author: Senior Traffic & Transport Officer
An unsafe road environment has significant impacts on people’s lives through devastating personal injury and/or death or injury of a loved one, causing considerable pain and suffering.
Statistics over the past five years indicate that whilst the level of road trauma in the City of Whittlesea is trending downwards, there are still 2,603 crashes (reported), involving 24 fatalities, 563 serious injuries and 1873 other injuries. The City of Whittlesea’s local road network accounted for one third of this road trauma, with 9 deaths, 210 serious injuries and 520 other injuries occurring on our local roads.
The Whittlesea Road Safety Strategy 2017 (Strategy) aims to replace Whittlesea’s previous Municipal Road Safety Strategy, developed in 2004 and was a key item included in the 2016 - 2017 Council Action Plan and the Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS) which sets Council’s long term strategic transport and traffic direction.
The Strategy aligns with the State government’s ‘Towards Zero’ road safety strategy that seeks to reduce death and serious injury. The Strategy will be used to guide Council decisions to provide a safe road environment on our streets.
The actions developed in the Strategy aim to strengthen the current road safety trend to continue moving to ‘towards zero’ deaths and serious injuries for our community. This goal will be achieved by focusing on strengthening collaborative actions that build on the established partnerships with the Victoria Police, VicRoads, and TAC and through the engagement and involvement of local community groups.
This report recommends the adoption of the draft Whittlesea Road Safety Strategy 2017 and the delivery of the actions contained for the benefit of the Whittlesea community.
The Whittlesea Road Safety Strategy 2017 (Strategy) replaces the previously developed Municipal Road Safety Strategy (2004). The Strategy addresses the need to improve road safety within the municipality by reducing the ongoing road toll by aligning with industry best practice and the State government’s ‘Towards Zero’ road safety strategy that aims for a future free of deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
The Strategy will guide Council decisions in implementing interventions that will provide a safe travelling environment for our community within our streets and along our paths.
Whilst statistics, from 2012 – 2016, indicate the level of road trauma in the City of Whittlesea is trending downwards, there were still 2,603 crashes reported, with the City of Whittlesea’s local road network accounting for one third of this road trauma.
The Strategy aims to progress the “Towards Zero” vision by:
· Continuing to develop and enhance collaboration with State government agencies to assist in reducing the road trauma both on the arterial and local road network,
· Applying the safe system approach to the designing of roads and paths in our new suburbs,
· Intervening to change the local road environment as required to improve safety of the City’s road network, and
· Delivering and expanding on the provision of education and information to our community.
An unsafe road user environment can significantly affect people’s lives, through devastating personal injury and/or death or injury of a loved one causing considerable pain and suffering.
Considering this significance and its impact on our community, the Whittlesea Road Safety Strategy’s vision is:
“That no person is killed or seriously injured as a result of travelling on our roads and paths.”
The principles and actions contained in the Strategy have been identified using our local context and are aimed at assisting vulnerable users such as children, people with disabilities and older persons who are at most risk on our roads. This is reflected in the focus towards improved road design elements using the Safe Systems approach that can be applied in a growth area municipality context.
The vision’s goal will ultimately be achieved by continuing to work closely with, and focus on strengthening collaborative actions, that build on the existing and already well-established partnerships with the Victoria Police, VicRoads, TAC and our local community groups.
Key Challenges and Responses
The key road safety challenges and Council responses the Strategy seeks to address and undertake in these collaborative actions include:
· Addressing the consequences from congested roads, including ‘rat running’ traffic on local roads and driver frustration by advocating for and facilitating delivery of additional infrastructure.
· Addressing local and arterial roads issues on the developing urban fringe, including increased vehicle volumes on under-developed roads, by facilitating timely provision of infrastructure and educating users about dangers.
· Responding to the pressures of population growth and demographic change with facilitation and provision of education programs and advocacy for expansion of transport network.
· Addressing perceptions of safety with targeted application of new works and promotion education programs that highlight safe road user behaviour.
· Ensuring the design of roads and paths addresses Safe Systems approach enabling the road network to deliver safer outcomes.
· Encouraging and facilitating active travel in a safer road environment by increasing mode choice for all trips with additional active travel infrastructure.
· Targeting reducing local congestion around schools and other community destinations where road safety is being compromised.
· Increasing collaboration with State government and road safety agencies to develop cooperative projects promoting behaviour that achieves a safer road environment.
· Building partnerships with the non-government sector enabling behaviour change of all road users.
Community views on the City’s transport and traffic network have been accumulated over several years through many sources including community requests (comments and feedback), community groups (Whittlesea Bicycle User Group, Senior Citizens, etc.) the annual household satisfaction survey and local and social media sources.
Community consultation results from other projects have also informed the development of this Strategy. This includes the Integrated Transport Strategy, the Community Building Strategy, Economic Development Strategy, Community Safety Plan, Community Plan, Annual Budget process, Bicycle Plan, and various Structure and Precinct Plans.
Discussions with State government agencies, including VicRoads, Victoria Police and Public Transport Victoria have been a key input into the development of the Strategy and its priorities for action.
Addressing and delivering on road safety forms part of the regular tasks and ‘business as usual’ activities undertaken by the City Transport and Presentation Directorate. These activities occur within the existing recurrent operational budget expenditure, as well as, capital investment within the New Works Program. The use of the Safe Systems approach has implications to ensure up-skilling and awareness is included into projects, programs and planning decisions across Council.
To address changing travel patterns, urban growth and/or infrastructure development, the Strategy’s priorities and actions will be considered on a regular basis as part of the annual budget approval processes.
The City of Whittlesea Road Safety Strategy is identified and has been aligned to the recommendations in the following Council policies and strategies:
· Whittlesea Bicycle Plan (2016 – 2020);
· Integrated Transport Strategy (2014);
· Crime Prevention and Safety Strategy; and
· Precinct Structure Plans and Strategy Plans.
In ‘Shaping Our Future Whittlesea 2030 Strategic Community Plan’ under ‘Accessibility in, out and around our City’ the Transport and Built Environment Themes strategic objectives are addressed by enabling the road network to provide accessibility and connectivity via safe walkable and cycling friendly neighbourhoods.
The City of Whittlesea is faced with the ongoing tragedy of road trauma on our local and arterial road network. The “Towards Zero” vision and the actions contained within this Draft Whittlesea Road Safety Strategy (2017) will aim to improve the safety of our community by focusing on strengthening collaboration and building on the existing established partnerships with the Victoria Police, VicRoads, TAC and our local community groups.
That Council resolve to adopt the City of Whittlesea Road Safety Strategy 2017.
6.3.2 Petition to remove street trees in Ancona Drive Mill Park – resident survey results
File No: 143551
Attachments: 1 Location of Ancona Drive ⇩
2 Street scape views before and afters ⇩
3 Letter sent to owners and occupiers ⇩
4 Survey form sent to owners and occupiers ⇩
5 Summary of comments in surveys ⇩
At the Council meeting on 27 June 2017, Council resolved to receive and note the petition from 28 residents representing 22 of the 61 properties requesting removal of all existing street trees in Ancona Drive, Mill Park and replace them with a more suitable species, and requested that a report be prepared. The petition expressed concern regarding the mess from debris from the trees, damage they cause to footpaths and branches dropping. Council officers have investigated the issues raised in the petition and inspected the street trees in Ancona Drive.
A report was prepared in response to the petition and presented to Council at the meeting on 29 August 2017. Council resolved that a survey be undertaken of all residents and/or property owners in Ancona Drive, Mill Park asking their opinion on whether they would like to retain or replace the existing street trees.
38 responses from 61 properties were returned with 8 votes for the retention of the trees and 30 votes for the removal and replacement of the trees. 12 addresses of surveys returned were part of the original petition and 1 address has changed their position from remove to keep.
An assessment of all the street trees in Ancona Drive has been undertaken by Council’s Arborist. This assessment found that all the existing street trees display good structure and healthy canopies.
The residents request to remove and replace the existing street trees in Ancona Drive has been assessed in accordance with Council’s Street Tree Management Plan (2016) (STMP) and Environmental Sustainability Strategy and is not supported for the following reasons:
· The trees are of sound structure and in good health;
· Infrastructure damage is minimal and well within accepted levels and required repairs have been undertaken as required;
· All trees drop litter consisting of bark, leaves, fruit, flowers etc. The litter on footpaths in Ancona Drive was not, on average, through multiple visits, observed to be excessive; and
· The litter accumulating under some larger trees is part of the natural shedding process of trees.
At the Council meeting on 27 June 2017, Council received a petition from 28 residents representing 22 of the 61 properties in Ancona Drive, Mill Park. Council resolved to receive the petition and requested that a report be prepared in response.
A report was prepared in response to the petition and presented to Council at the meeting on 29 August 2017. Council resolved that that a survey be undertaken of all residents and/or property owners in Ancona Drive, Mill Park asking their opinion on whether they would like to retain or replace the existing street trees.
The petition requests that the existing ‘Red Gum Trees’ be cut down and that a more suitable variety be planted instead. The petition includes the following concerns regarding the existing street trees:
· Residents didn’t want these trees planted originally but they were planted anyway;
· Debris from the trees clogging up gutters, bark peeling and creating a mess;
· Risk of branches from the trees dropping and damaging cars and are a danger to people;
· Trees causing concrete in driveways and footpath to crack; and
· Other plants not growing because of the leaves from the street trees.
Ancona Drive extends north east from University Drive and completes a loop back to itself (refer attachment 1, Locality Map). There are a total of 61 properties in Ancona Drive, Mill Park.
Ancona Drive is part of the Rivergum Estate Stages 21 and 22. These stages of the Mill Park Estates were completed in 2001. The trees chosen for Ancona Drive were two eucalypts, E.mannifera (Brittle Gum) and E. scoparia (Willow Gum). These street tree species were endorsed by Council as part of the approval of the landscape plans for this subdivision. These species were on the approved street tree planting list at the time.
These two eucalypt species are on Council’s current street tree planting list, endorsed as part of Council’s new Street Tree Management Plan 2016.
Ancona Drive currently contains 54 street trees. The vast majority of trees in the street are Willow or Brittle gums (Eucalyptus scoparia and mannifera) with a small number of other mixed species in irregular positions throughout the Drive. The age of the trees is predominantly 17 years old with some trees being younger. The average height of the street trees is just over 10m providing a strong streetscape character of upright spreading crowns with predominantly white trunks (refer to Attachment 2).
Council implements a proactive cyclic street tree maintenance program which ensures that Council managed street trees are inspected and pruned, if required, at least once every two years. The street trees in Ancona Drive were last inspected in May / June 2017. As a result of this program, minor maintenance pruning was undertaken on approximately half of the street trees within Ancona Drive. No significant visible structural defects were identified in any of the street trees in Ancona Drive.
In addition, all the trees in Ancona Drive were inspected by Council’s Arborist on 8 June 2017 and again on 18 July 2017. No major structural faults were observed in any of the trees and pruning was undertaken to a high standard. All the street trees were found to meet the clearances detailed in Council’s STMP (Street Tree Management Plan) and Road Management Plan (RMP).
There is a history of resident concern about debris and damage from the street trees in Ancona Drive since it was developed in 2001.
As Council officers were aware that residents were concerned about the street trees in Ancona Drive, all properties were sent a letter in May 2016 regarding the preparation of Council’s new Street Tree Management Plan. This letter included an invitation to view the draft Plan, attend face to face consultation sessions and provide feedback on the draft Plan.
The renewal of the street trees within Ancona Drive is not part of the current 10 Year Street Tree Renewal Program endorsed by Council.
Attachment 2 shows the existing street trees within Ancona Drive, what the street would look like with the street trees removed and what it would look like with trees replanted. If the existing trees are removed and replaced, it will take at least 5 to 7 years to see a noticeable visual impact from the new street trees. The trees make a strong contribution to streetscape character.
The removal of all of the street trees in Ancona Drive would result in a significant increase in the urban heat island effect in this locality by increasing temperature
RESPONSE TO RESIDENT CONCERNS REGARDING STREET TREES
In response to the concerns raised in the petition regarding concrete cracking, Council’s records indicated that only three addresses have complained about concrete cracking due to trees. Council responds to these complaints on a case by case basis.
In relation to the concern expressed in the petition regarding debris from the street trees in Ancona Drive, Council’s Arborist observed the concentration of tree litter at the bottom of the natural hill around No 10 to be primarily due to accumulated litter being transported by natural runoff water, but also the more closed in landscape profile of the street due to the larger size of trees and side fences of No. 12 Ancona Drive and No. 14 Ward Street.
All trees drop debris consisting of bark, leaves, fruit, flowers etc. Residential streets in the municipality are swept by Council generally on a 6 to 8 week cycle. Selected zones that contain significant avenues of mature / large trees receive supplementary street sweeping on an as needs basis, during periods of excess debris drop. These periods vary depending on both the species of tree and local climatic conditions. Ancona Drive is located within a supplementary sweeping zone, and as such, will be attended on a four (4) week cycle during periods of excess debris drop in order to address leaf litter issues.
In addition, Council’s drainage infrastructure is regularly inspected and cleaned as necessary. Council has no recorded blocked drains within Ancona Drive in the last 15 years.
In relation to the petition concern regarding branches dropping off the street trees in Ancona Drive, the only registered instance of a tree losing branches relates to a tree that was removed in February 2017 after being recognised as a structurally unsuitable individual tree.
In relation to the concern in the petition about trees damaging cars, Council’s records show that there are two reports registered related to trees and cars in Ancona Drive. Council’s Risk Management Team reports one registered claim for damage relating to leaves blocking private house gutters.
Council’s Street Tree Management Plan (STMP), provides a set of criteria for consideration relating to requests for the removal of existing street trees. Under these guidelines trees will be considered for removal if one or more of the following criteria are met:
· The tree is dead or in severe decline or poses a very high risk potential that cannot be corrected by pruning, transplanting or other contemporary treatments.
· The tree severely interferes with a neighbouring tree to the extent that neither tree can develop to its full potential.
· The aesthetic values of the tree or tree group are so low that the site is visually enhanced by the removal of the tree or tree group.
· The tree is found to be contributing to damage to public or private property and no other viable means are available to rectify the situation.
· The tree or tree group is infected with an epidemic insect or disease, or is recognised as an environmental woody weed species.
· The tree or group of trees is included in Council’s street tree renewal program.
In addition, Council’s Street Tree Management Plan (STMP) (page 42) states that:
“Council will investigate all tree management options before recommending tree removal and consider the contribution each tree makes to neighbourhood character as well as wildlife habitat when making all tree management and tree removal decisions. Street trees provide considerable benefit to the community by way of improved amenity and reduction in the Urban Heat Island Effect, therefore Council will not support individual requests to have trees removed, or subjected to additional pruning, in order to:
· Reduce or eliminate leaf litter or tree debris;
· Improve primate amenity.’
The removal and replacement the existing street trees in Ancona Drive has been assessed in accordance with Council’s STMP and Environmental Sustainability Strategy and is not supported within the policy for the following reasons:
· All trees drop litter consisting of bark, leaves, fruit, flowers etc. The litter on footpaths in Ancona Drive was not, on average through multiple visits, observed to be excessive;
· Any replacement street trees planted will still have a drop leaves and other debris; and
· The eucalypt species located in Ancona Drive are listed as a suitable street tree species in Council’s current street tree species planting list.
Council’s existing policy details the broader value that street trees provide for the community. This value exists for residents who live within an individual street, but also extends to the community who live in the broader neighbourhood, with street trees contributing to a more walkable neighbourhood, neighbourhood character, local habitat and the reduction of the urban heat island affect for the city. Although residents are requesting that the street trees be replaced, there is at least a seven year lag until the new trees would mature to the degree that they provide a commensurate value to the neighbourhood, compared to the existing trees.
Notwithstanding that residents support the removal of trees (as detailed in the consultation section below), it is recommended that the street trees be retained based on Council’s existing policy position.
The letter and survey were sent to the owners and occupiers of the properties in Ancona Drive on 6 September 2017. Refer to Attachment 3 and 4. The due date of returning the survey was Friday 29 September 2017.
A summary of responses received is provided in the following table:
Retain trees
Remove and replace trees
12 addresses of surveys returned were part of the original petition and one address has changed their position from remove to keep. Attachment 5 contains a summary of the comments provided in the survey responses.
The majority of residents who returned the survey requested that the trees be removed. These 30 responses represent just under half of all properties within the street.
Residents were advised in the survey letter that the results of the survey were being presented to the 31 October 2017 Council meeting.
Council’s Arborist has undertaken an assessment of the financial value of the street trees in Ancona Drive using the modified Burnley tree valuation method. This method is endorsed in Council’s Fees and Charges Schedule and Council’s Street Tree Management Plan (page 42). This valuation method is an industry wide accepted method of calculating the amenity value, ecosystem and habitat corridor role and contribution to reducing the urban heat island effect of a tree.
This valuation does not include the cost of establishing and ongoing maintenance of these trees as part of Council’s street tree management program.
The financial implications of removing the existing street trees within Ancona Drive and replacing them are:
· Asset and environmental value of existing street tree removed (using Burnley valuation method): $643,005.21.
· Cost to remove all trees and stumps in Ancona Drive: $43,429.46.
· Cost of replanting Ancona Drive with new trees: $27,950.
The proposal is consistent with Council’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy (2013) and Street Tree Management Plan (2016) and Natural and Built Shade Policy (2016).
The proposal is consistent with:
Future Direction 4: Our open spaces are accessible and respond to local needs.”
Future Direction 6: We are an environmentally sustainable City
The retention of the existing street trees within Ancona Drive would ensure that the existing aesthetic and environmental values of the street scape of Ancona Drive is protected and retained.
The petition requesting removal of all existing street trees in Ancona Drive, Mill Park and replace them with a more suitable species and results of community survey have been assessed in the context of Council’s Street Tree Management Plan and Environmental Sustainability Strategy. Although based on the survey results, there is resident support for the removal of street trees within Ancona Drive, no justification exists for the removal of the trees based on the criteria established within Council’s Street Tree Management Plan. Inspections of the trees in Ancona Drive by Council’s Arborist did not identify any negative health or structural related issues with any of the trees.
Based on Council’s existing policy position, which outlines the value that street trees provide to the community, beyond that of residents in any one individual street, the removal of the existing street trees within Ancona Drive is not supported.
1. Not remove or replace the street trees in Ancona Drive Mill Park;
2. Note that increased sweeping regimes have been implemented in Ancona Drive to address leaf litter; and
3. Write to all residents and owners of properties within Ancona Drive advising them of Council’s decision and include information on the assessment of the issues raised in the petition.
6.4.1 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2017
Attachments: 1 Financial Performance Report - September 2017 ⇩
The Financial Performance Report (Attachment 1) for the period ended 30 September 2017, is presented for consideration by Council, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1989.
A detailed analysis of income and expenditure in the comprehensive income statement is included in the report. The statement shows a favourable year to date variance of Council’s underlying surplus of $3.03 million. Significant income and expenditure variances are highlighted below:
Whilst much of the variances in materials and services is due to timing difference between budgeted and actual timing of expenditure, it is anticipated that the operating result for the year will finish at a favourable result compared to the adopted budget.
For the nine month period ending 30 September 2017, Council’s underlying surplus shows a favourable year to date variance of $3.03 million against budget. Although this result is generally in-line with budget predictions, variances will continue to be monitored over the next quarter.
THAT Council resolve to note the Financial Performance Report for the period ended 30 September 2017.
6.4.2 Quarterly Contract Finalisation Report - October 2017
Attachments: 1 Contract List – Confidential (Section 89 (2)(d)
This report seeks a Council resolution to approve finalisation of a number of contracts from across the organisation. The details of those contracts are listed in Attachment 1, including a brief summary of the reasons for all previously approved variations.
In the pursuit of continuous improvement the practice of reporting finalisation of contracts has been streamlined. This was done with a view to alleviating administrative burden and reducing the number of confidential reports being presented to Council.
The change was foreshadowed in a report tabled at Council Forum on 14 February 2017. Amongst other matters the report described a proposal to report finalisation of contracts collectively on a quarterly basis as opposed to reporting them individually as they arise. This is the second such collective finalisation report (the first was presented on 18 July 2017).
At contract award Council often pre-approves a contingency sum to fund contract variations that arise during the normal course of contract management. If further variations are required beyond those contingency sums, a separate report seeking variation approval is presented for Council’s consideration.
This new collective finalisation report format separately identifies the total value of variations both within and above contingency sums. Note that no contract is listed for finalisation until all payments have been made and the total invoiced amount is confirmed as equal to the total approved contract sum. This means that all variations detailed herein have already been previously approved by Council.
On Time / On Budget Reporting
The reviewed Procurement Policy was endorsed by Council on 29 August 2017. One of the improvements in the policy was a new requirement to analyse data on the extent of contracts delivered on time and on budget. This data is detailed in the attachment.
Delivery was considered on time if it was within the agreed delivery deadline. Note that this could be either the original completion date or a later date approved by the contract manager.
The contract was considered delivered on budget if the final cost was within the initially approved total. That total is deemed to include any initially approved contingency sum. In the case of a service contract with extension options, the initially approved total also includes any reported expenditure estimate for an extension period that was approved by the Council.
The contracts listed in the attachment have all reached final completion. Wherever applicable, any remaining security deposit has been returned and the defects liability period has elapsed. Each Contract Manager has confirmed there are no outstanding matters.
All contract expenditure was funded from operational budgets approved by the Council.
The efficient review and approval of contract finalisations is an important component of monitoring the effectiveness of contract management.
All contracts listed in the attachment have been completed satisfactorily and all outstanding matters have been addressed.
THAT Council resolve to note finalisation of the attached list of contracts.
6.4.3 Appointment of Independent Members to the Audit & Risk Committee and Proposed Fee Increase
In accordance with the City of Whittlesea Audit & Risk Committee Charter, Council is required to appoint independent external representatives to the Audit & Risk Committee. This report seeks Council’s approval to appoint two independent members to the Committee and appoint one of the independent members as Chair of the Committee. This report is also seeking Council’s consideration of an increase in fees paid to external representatives of the Committee.
The terms of two of the independent members of Council’s Audit & Risk Committee, Mr Michael Said and Mr Homi Burjorjee ended on 30 September 2017. Council decided to advertise these positions, with the current members invited to reapply.
An advertisement was placed in the Financial Review on 15 September 2017 and the Age on 16 September 2017, as well as the City of Whittlesea and Linkedin websites, inviting expressions of interest for independent members to join the Audit & Risk Committee. Forty-one applicants, including the two current independent members, submitted written applications.
Upon review of the applications, six were shortlisted for further consideration and invited to attend an interview with the CEO and Director Corporate Services.
The Audit & Risk Committee Charter also states that the remuneration paid to external members for attendance fees is to be reviewed annually by Council. The current fee of $1,350 per meeting for the Chair and $1,075 per meeting for the other independent members was last reviewed by Council at the 9 August 2016 Council meeting.
Appointment of Independent Committee Representatives
A selection panel comprising the CEO and Director Corporate Services reviewed the 41 applications received for shortlisting. Six applicants were shortlisted and all attended for an interview with the selection panel.
All candidates interviewed had strong financial, business, compliance and risk management experience, along with a sound knowledge of local government issues and extensive experience with audit committees.
As part of their application, all applicants were asked to state whether they were free from any management, business or other relationship that could reasonably be perceived to materially interfere with their ability to act in the best interests of the City of Whittlesea. At interview they were again asked to confirm that they had no interests or associations that could be either a direct or indirect conflict of interest. All applicants advised that they had no conflicts of interest.
At the completion of the interview process the panel determined that Mr Geoff Harry and Ms Theresa Glab best met the requirements of the role and could be recommended to Council for appointment to the Audit & Risk Committee.
Mr Harry has extensive experience in risk, governance and assurance management in both the private and public sectors. Mr Harry has recently retired from professional life after holding roles with PwC, Alinta / Jemena and Fortescue Metals Group. He is currently the independent chair of the audit committees at the City of Greater Geelong, Monash City Council and Gippsland Water Authority. He is also a member of the audit committees at Melbourne City Council, the Department of Premier & Cabinet, Regional Kitchen Group and Orygen Youth Mental Health.
Ms Glab is an experienced Board and Audit Committee member who has experience in governance, risk management, compliance and financial reporting processes. She currently holds appointments with audit committees at Mitchell Shire Council, Manningham City Council and Baw Baw Shire Council. She also holds positions on a number of Boards in both the public and private sector. Ms Glab’s experience shows strong organisational, governance and representational skills.
To ensure that all skills, knowledge and expertise is maintained on the Committee and that no two members’ terms end simultaneously, a staggered approach to Committee appointments was introduced in 2015. As such, it is recommended Mr Harry is appointed for a three year term ending 30 September 2020 and Ms Glab is appointed for a two year term ending 30 September 2019. It is also recommended that Mr Harry be appointed Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee for the duration of his term.
Proposed Fee Increase for External Committee Representatives
The role and responsibility of Audit & Risk Committee members is ever increasing, particularly in this time of increased focus and scrutiny over matters of compliance, audit, risk management and prudent financial management. From 31 October 2017, it is proposed to increase remuneration to independent external members from $1,075 to $1,100 per meeting and the Chair from $1,350 to $1,385 per meeting. This represents a 2.5% increase, which is comparable with the most recent increase in Mayoral and Councillor Allowances and also recognises the time, commitment, responsibilities and level of business knowledge required by Audit & Risk Committee members.
The appointment of independent external members to the Audit & Risk Committee and proposed fee increase has been allowed for in the 2017/2018 Budget.
The City of Whittlesea’s Audit & Risk Committee Charter requires Council to appoint independent external representatives to the Audit & Risk Committee.
The establishment of the Audit & Risk Committee and the reports it receives are reflective of Council’s commitment to the implementation of good governance principles.
The Committee provides advice to Council to assist with fulfilling its oversight responsibilities for the financial and non-financial reporting process, internal controls, the audit process, risk management and Council’s process for monitoring compliance with legislation and regulations and the Code of Conduct.
In accordance with Council’s Audit & Risk Committee Charter, two independent positions on the Audit & Risk Committee have been advertised, with interviews conducted of shortlisted candidates. The selected applicants Mr Harry and Ms Glab have extensive experience and appropriate skills to offer Council’s Audit & Risk Committee and are worthy of appointment.
Council must also appoint an independent member as Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and Mr Harry is recommended for this role.
Additionally, the proposed fee increase per meeting is reflective of the Committee members’ responsibilities and duties.
1. Appoint Mr Geoff Harry as independent member to the City of Whittlesea’s Audit & Risk Committee commencing 31 October 2017 for a three year term ending 30 September 2020, in accordance with the terms of reference contained in the Audit & Risk Committee Charter.
2. Appoint Ms Theresa Glab as independent member to the City of Whittlesea’s Audit & Risk Committee commencing 31 October 2017 for a two year term ending 30 September 2019, in accordance with the terms of reference contained in the Audit & Risk Committee Charter.
3. Appoint Mr Geoff Harry as Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee for the duration of his term.
4. Set the fee per Audit & Risk Committee meeting, effective from 31 October 2017, to $1,385 per meeting for the Chair and $1,100 per meeting for the other independent members.
5. Send letters of appreciation for past service and contribution to outgoing independent members, Mr Homi Burjorjee, and Committee Chair, Mr Michael Said.
6.4.4 Committee of Council recommendation - Road Discontinuance & Sale to Applicant at 135-161 Barry Road Thomastown
Public submissions were invited in relation to the proposed discontinuance and sale of the unconstructed section of the Downs Road Reserve shown in the attached plans (see Attachment 1 – Site Plan and Attachment 2 – Advertising Plan), for the purposes of servicing a new residential subdivision under the Barry Road Development Plan. The submission period closed at 12 noon on 25 October 2017.
A Committee of Council, comprising of Councillors Cox, Kozmevski, Monteleone and Pavlidis, was appointed to hear any submissions received and provide a recommendation back to Council.
As no submissions were received, the Committee was not required to meet and Council may now consider granting approval to proceed with the proposed road discontinuance.
Council, at its meeting held on 19 September 2017, formally resolved to discontinue a section of road reserve that will form part of an adjoining residential development.
The Development Plan outlines that a significant portion of the road (to be discontinued) will be set-out as a new 14m wide road to service each of the rear loaded residential allotments and provide connection to new and existing underground services. The new service road will integrate with the local road network and open space linkages such as the City of Whittlesea Public Gardens, RGC Cook Reserve and Crown allotments (to which Council was appointed Committee of Management in 2016).
To seek Council’s final recommendation following the closure of the public submissions process on the proposed discontinuance and sale of the unconstructed section of the Downs Road Reserve, for the purposes of consolidation with the residential development site at 135-161 Barry Road, Thomastown. No public submissions were received in response to Council’s public notice advertised in the Whittlesea Leader on Tuesday 26 September 2017.
The plan will be consistent with the requirements of the Barry Road Development Plan which was endorsed in May 2017 following public consultation with all adjoining landowners. Negotiations included the removal of all informal occupancies that were present within the subject land (including veggie patches).
A Committee of Council, comprising of Councillors Cox, Kozmevski, Monteleone and Pavlidis, was appointed to consider any written submissions received in response to Council’s public notice advertised in the Whittlesea Leader on Tuesday 26 September 2017.
No submissions were received at the close of the advertising period (25 October 2017, 12 noon). A memo was sent to the Committee of Council on Wednesday 25 October 2017, advising that no public submissions were received and the Committee of Council hearing would not be required.
The proposed discontinued road will be sold for a price of $400,000 (plus GST).
The proposal seeks to facilitate the discontinuance and sale of the unconstructed section of the Downs Road Reserve that will be consolidated and utilised as a future residential development at 135-161 Barry Road Thomastown.
To proceed with the proposed discontinuance and sale of the section of the unconstructed section of the Downs Road Reserve, marked in Attachment 2 – Advertising Plan, to the adjoining landowner at 135-161 Barry Road Thomastown. The land will be purchased and consolidated within the existing property for the purposes of creating a new residential subdivision. The balance of road will be will be set-out as a new 14m wide road to service the rear loaded residential allotments and provide connection to new and existing underground services.
1. Note that Council invited public submissions on the proposed discontinuance and sale of the unconstructed section of the Downs Road Reserve marked in Attachment 2 – Advertising Plan, in accordance with Section 206 and Clause 3 of Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 1989, and that no submissions were received at the close of the public submission period.
2. Formally discontinue and sell the unconstructed section of the Downs Road Reserve to the adjoining landowner at 135-161 Barry Road, Thomastown, for the purposes of creating a new residential subdivision. The balance of road will be will be set-out as a new 14m wide road to service the rear loaded residential allotments and provide connection to new and existing underground services. The proposed sale of the discontinued section of Downs Road will be for an amount of $400,000 (plus GST).
3. Authorise the Chief Executive Officer to prepare, negotiate and execute all relevant documentation, including any contract of sale and land transfer documents.
6.5.1 ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017
File No: .195950
Attachments: 1 Annual Report 2016-17 (distributed separately - refer to p.9) ⇨
Author: Corporate Communications Officer
To present Council’s 2016-2017 Annual Report.
The 2016-2017 Annual Report summarises Council’s operations for the year and outlines Council’s performance against the Council Plan. It also provides audited performance and financial statements for the period 1 July 2016 – 30 June 2017.
· Audited financial statements, prepared in accordance with the Australian Accounting Standards and a copy of the Auditor-General’s Report on the Financial Statements (Part 3).
The Annual Report provides detail on a range of activities undertaken during the year by Council on behalf of the community. A selection of highlights from the year includes:
· Successful launch of the Whittlesea Community Futures Prospectus that seeks philanthropic funding for 14 local projects that will provide targeted support to disadvantaged communities and neighbourhoods.
· Finalisation of the ‘Stretch’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2017-2020.
· In collaboration with City of Moreland and City of Darebin, the three Councils have constructed a $13 million animal welfare facility that will cater for animals from the three municipalities with improved outcomes for animal welfare.
· Development of a Road and Public Transport Plan to guide Council’s work as we advocate and work with key stakeholders to ensure our community can enjoy access to an efficient and effective road network and have better public transport.
· Completion of the Orchard Road Community and Early Learning Centre in partnership with the YMCA.
· Development of the National Disability Insurance Scheme rollout plan has assisted Council's clients transitioning to NDIS.
· Development and adoption of a Property Management Strategy will ensure that Council’s property portfolio is strategically aligned with its service delivery objectives and community expectations.
· Adoption of a Sustainable Procurement Action Plan to reduce the adverse environmental social and economic impacts of Council's purchased products and services.
Copies of the Annual Report will be made available at Council Offices and at the Yarra Plenty Regional Library Branches of Lalor, Thomastown, Mill Park, and Whittlesea. A copy will also be published on Council’s website at whittlesea.vic.gov.au.
It is recommended that the 2016-2017 Council Annual Report be received and noted.
THAT Council resolve to receive and note the 2016-2017 Annual Report in accordance with Section 134(1) of the Local Government Act 1989.
6.5.2 Council Meeting Schedule for 2018
` Report
To adopt the Council Meeting schedule for 2018, noting that it is proposed to move to a monthly Council meeting cycle.
The proposed Council Meeting schedule for 2018 is set out below allowing for public holidays and conferences. It is proposed that meetings will be held monthly on the first Tuesday of the month with the exception of November and December when the meeting will be held on the second Tuesday.
Unless otherwise determined by Council, Ordinary Council Meetings will be held on Tuesdays, commencing at 6.30pm in the Council Chamber at the Council Offices, 25 Ferres Boulevard, South Morang.
The following dates for Council meetings are proposed for 2018 and take account of public holidays and other sector specific events such as major conferences:
It should be noted that the dates for the ordinary Council meetings in November and December have moved to the second Tuesday of the month due to the Melbourne Cup Public Holiday in November and in December to account for Christmas and New Year holiday period when the first meeting of 2019 is likely to be early February.
In addition, the following dates for Special Council meetings are proposed:
· Tuesday, 27 March 2018 at 6pm for the purpose of advertising the 2018-2019 proposed Budget and Council Action Plan;
· Tuesday, 29 May 2018 at 6pm for the purpose of adopting the 2018-2019 proposed Budget and Council Action Plan; and
· Thursday, 1 November 2018 at 7pm for the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
The Local Government Act requires Council to give public notice of Council meeting dates.
The Act also requires the Mayor to be elected after the fourth Saturday in October but not later than 30 November in each year.
Council Strategy Organisational Sustainability
Council will work to build a stronger sense of community within neighbourhoods and across the municipality, and create new opportunities for social networks and civic engagement.
Conducting Council meetings throughout the year gives the community access to become involved in Council’s decision making process on issues that affect the community.
It is recommended that the proposed meeting dates be adopted and advertised to the public. The schedule of meeting dates will facilitate Council's decision making processes by ensuring that regular meetings are held.
1. Adopt the Ordinary Council Meeting schedule for 2018 as follows:
2. Set the commencement time of Ordinary Council Meetings at 6.30pm and the venue as the Council Chamber, Council Offices, 25 Ferres Boulevard, South Morang unless otherwise determined by Council resolution;
3. Schedule a Special Council Meeting for 6pm Tuesday, 27 March 2018 for the purpose of advertising the 2018-2019 proposed Budget and Council Action Plan;
4. Schedule a Special Council Meeting for 6pm Tuesday, 29 May 2018 for the purpose of adopting the 2018-2019 proposed Budget and Council Action Plan;
5. Schedule a Special Council Meeting for Thursday, 1 November 2018 at 7pm for the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor; and
6. Give public notice of the adopted Council Meeting schedule.
6.5.3 Options and Effectiveness of Live Streaming of Ordinary Council Meetings
Attachments: 1 Attachment 1 - MAV Insurance Recording and Publishing of Council Meetings ⇩
2 Attachment 2 - Benchmarking All Victorian Council undertaken by Melton Shire Council ⇩
3 Attachment 3 - Audience Size Statistics undertaken by Melbourne Shire Council ⇩
At the Ordinary Council meeting of 27 June 2017 Council requested a report be presented covering the options, effectiveness and mitigation of risks of live streaming of Ordinary Council Meetings.
· Live streaming of Ordinary Council meetings can improve access and transparency of Council Decision making and support delivery of Council Plan objectives.
· Currently there are approximately 30 Local Governments who are either live streaming or broadcasting audio.
· Moreland City Council’s viewing figures for a three month period was 9938 and the Rural City of Wangaratta’s viewing figures for the same period of time was 218.
· The costs range from $3,500 (Rural City of Wangaratta) to $150,000 (City of Moreland) for Year One set up cost, and $250 - $30,000 respectively for subsequent years.
· All risks can be easily mitigated.
· An excellent option is provided by Channel 31, a not for profit broadcaster, who offers a service starting at $19,000 per annum.
· The Victorian Ombudsman report into transparency of local government decision making highlighted opportunities for improved practice to ensure that “… democracy must also be seen to be done to ensure legitimacy in the eyes of the public. Transparency must be a cornerstone of local government practice, not merely a box to be ticked”.
This report recommends that Council support live streaming of Ordinary Council meetings, and:
a) Authorise the CEO to commence discussions with appropriate vendors to provide live streaming services;
b) Commence live streaming of Ordinary Council meetings from February 2018;
c) Refer an amount of up to $30,000 be allocated for this purpose during the mid-year budget review; and
d) Ensure Council’s risks are mitigated through appropriate insurances and training.
Several Councils have recently investigated options into live streaming, including Melton City Council. As part of their report presented in May 2017, Melton undertook a desktop review of all 79 Victorian Councils, and determined that 13 Councils are currently live streaming and 14 Councils are uploading audio only “on demand”, ie. at a later time. Melton City Council has kindly shared their report to assist in the development of this report.
Options and their effectiveness
There are three main options available: self-managed, self-managed/externally hosted and outsourced.
Moreland City Council operates a very sophisticated self-managed broadcast quality service which cost $150,000 to set up, has an annual cost of $30,000 and in a three month period recorded 9938 views. This option involves four live cameras and requires 3 staff to operate. It is highly interactive and is streamed via YouTube and Facebook Live. Council officers also tweet throughout the meeting to let members of the public know when certain agenda items are about to be debated. Members of the public can also comment and ask questions on Facebook Live during a meeting and where appropriate, officers can provide almost immediate responses.
In contrast, the Rural City of Wangaratta, also self-managed, utilises an iPad camera and requires one staff member to operate and monitor any issues during the broadcast. After a meeting, a staff member archives the videos and provides links to Council’s website. This is a modest set up comprising one wide angled iPad camera and cost $3,404.95 to set up, an annual cost of $125 and in a three month period recorded 218 views.
A number of Councils such as City of Bayside, City of Kingston and Wellington Shire Council use a company called Interstream in a hybrid option that has Councils purchasing equipment and Interstream providing hosting, editing, archiving and data storage. Average set up costs were $32,180, with an annual cost of $15,120. Benchmarking and audience size statistics are available in Attachments 2 and 3.
The third option is outsourcing. Channel 31 (C31) is Victoria’s not for profit community television service and offers a broadcasting service. A quote has been obtained for 19 meetings with a total of 33 broadcast hours which would adequately cover Council’s current requirements. The advantages of this option are that Council does not need to invest in infrastructure and the cameras used are of HD broadcast quality which are operated by a professional. The quoted annual cost for this option is $18,000 (33 hours broadcast). Archiving/indexing and bookmarking would require additional staff resources. This option is untested. Council would be C31’s first customer in the broadcasting of Council meetings.
The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) released a document in February 2015 titled Recording and Publishing Council Meetings - Risk Management and Insurance Implications (Attachment 1), which stated “webcasting and audio recording is recognised a promoting and improving the democratic process at the Local Council level”.
Council is covered by MAV Insurance’s Liability Mutual Insurance (LMI) Scheme. This provides cover in relation to ‘libel and slander’ and ‘advertising’ which covers for any defamatory ‘publication’ that occurs as a result of webcasting / audio recordings. In addition, Councillors and Officers are covered for inadvertently webcasting a deliberate, malicious defamatory comment; however a Councillor or Officer knowingly making such a statement would not be covered.
Councillors and Officers are bound by Codes of Conduct that require all parties to behave lawfully. This requirement exists at all times, therefore in conjunction with the appropriate insurances, risks can be mitigated.
It is proposed that Council consider live streaming of Ordinary Council meetings using an outsourced option. Risks can be mitigated and the costs are not prohibitive. “Live streaming of Ordinary Council meetings provides public accessibility to Council meetings, particularly for people who find it difficult to physically attend. It allows the public to watch council decision making live, rather than hearing or reading about decisions after they have been made.” (Investigation into the transparency of local government decision making. Victorian Ombudsman, December 2016).
Research has been conducted with a number of Local Governments and live streaming providers. To date, there has been no specific community consultation undertaken.
To meet a target date of February 2018, procurement of live streaming services would need to commence in November 2017.
Currently there is no allocation in the 2017/18 budget for live streaming services. It is estimated that an amount up to $30,000 could be allocated at the mid-year budget review.
Live streaming of Ordinary Council meetings provides community members, at their convenience, an opportunity to witness Council’s decision making processes made at an Ordinary Council meeting.
THAT Council resolve to Support live streaming of Ordinary Council meetings and
1. Authorise the CEO to commence discussions with appropriate vendors to provide live streaming services;
2. Commence live streaming of Ordinary Council meetings from February 2018;
3. Refer an amount of up to $30,000 be allocated for this purpose during the mid-year budget; and
4. Ensure Council’s risks are mitigated through appropriate insurances and training.
6.5.4 Food Hotel China 2017 - REQUEST FOR APPROVAL FOR OFFICER TO ATTEND
File No: .1165908
This report requests approval for Council’s Executive Officer Plenty Food Group to attend the Food Hotel China (FHC) Exhibition in Shanghai, China. The Plenty Food Group (PFG) will be representing and assisting local food manufacturers focussing on providing new market opportunities and continued growth into the Asia Pacific region. International engagement enables PFG to continue to strengthen existing contacts and develop new opportunities within these export markets for our local food manufacturers. These connections allow PFG to keep up to date with market trends, opportunities, difficulties and general information to be able to guide the development of industry opportunities for local manufacturers.
The sustainability of the local food manufacturing sector is the primary focus of PFG. By encouraging and supporting export and market diversification to local manufacturers, PFG is creating additional growth and employment opportunities to further strengthen our food manufacturing sector. This has been evidenced by past attendance at similar shows.
The FHC is the largest specialist tradeshow for imported food and wines in China. The tradeshow will allow PFG to capitalise on the growing China food service industry as the tradeshow attracts resorts, hotels, chefs and provides exposure and export potential to local suppliers. Chinese-manufactured products are not exhibited at this show, and as such, attracts a high calibre of buyers that Australian suppliers should target. In addition to the visiting buyers, over 80 relevant retailers, importers, distributors and e-commerce platforms exhibit at FHC. Last year the tradeshow covered 73,500 square metres of exhibition area and attracted more than 34,000 trade buyers and 2,350 companies from 66 countries.
In addition, this trade show includes market insights and a retail tour, a networking event with Chinese retail buyers, distributors and importers, and introductions to China Austrade representatives and State-in-market representatives from the China region.
Under the Travel Policy, Council approval of overseas travel by officers is required.
Attendance by the Executive Officer PFG at the exhibition will provide an opportunity to promote PFG and its members to more than 30,000 trade buyers and 2,350 companies from 66 countries.
FHC runs from the 14 to 16 November 2017.
The cost of attending the conference, which includes travel and accommodation, is $10,500.00 of which $8,400.00 will be recouped by PFG members for representation or attending the exhibition. This could increase by $2,400.00 by additional members attending or needing representation. There is an existing budget for all trade missions – national and international. However, in most cases, trade missions strive to be cost neutral, as income is generated from participating businesses.
The Executive Officer PFG is a jointly funded position between the City of Whittlesea and City of Hume.
This report is required under Council’s Travel Policy. The recently adopted Economic Development Strategy has the following goals that support the work of PFG:
· We will position our city as a critical player in establishing Melbourne’s north as a nationally significant food hub; and
· We will support our local food manufacturers to increase their profile and export rates nationally and internationally.
Strategic Objective Our local, industrial and regional business communities are supported to thrive in our City
Attendance at the FHC 2017 will promote the members of PFG and provides a tremendous opportunity for local food manufacturers to have their product and industry sector promoted to international buyers, with the aim of establishing export business. By encouraging and supporting export and market diversification to local manufacturers, PFG is creating additional growth and employment opportunities to further strengthen the food manufacturing sector and its future. This strongly aligns to the Economic Development Strategy and it is expected the trip will be cost neutral as income is generated from participating exhibitors.
THAT Council approve Council’s Executive Officer Plenty Food Group to attend Food Hotel China Exhibition in Shanghai, China 2017.
6.5.5 Assemblies of Councillors Report - 31 October 2017
A-CEO
A-DPE
1. Advocacy strategy update.
2. Procurement Policy review and tendering and management of contracts.
1. Mernda Aquatic and indoor sports centre development: Preliminary options review.
2. Regional Park Master Plan.
3. Norris Bank Reserve Bundoora Master Plan Development.
4. Huskisson Reserve Lalor Master Plan Development.
5. Botanica Park, Bundoora Master Plan Development.
6. Whittlesea Public Gardens, Lalor Master Plan Development.
7. Outcomes from Councillors IT Support Sessions.
8. Councillor only discussion.
A-MFA
1. Chief Executive Officer to Councillor Update.
2. Financial Reserves.
3. Cooper Street West position paper
1. CEO and Councillor only time.
2. CEO Governance update.
3. Aged Care Reform: Roadmap to Transition.
4. Latest findings from 2017 Community satisfaction surveys and future data collection.
1. Aboriginal Cultural Competency Training.
Manager Advocacy, Communications and Economic Development – Sean McManus
Aquatic Infrastructure Development Coordinator – Paul Bennett
Acting Manager Finance and Assets – Graham Haylock
Manager Parks and Open Space – Kristen Jackson
Team Leader Procurement – Tom Masters
Team Leader Parks Development – Adrian Napoleone
Research Project Officer – David Trathen
Team Leader Strategic Planning and Policy – Denise Turner
6.5.6 City of Whittlesea Australia Day Awards Advisory Committee - Expression of Interest - Committee Representation
File No: 194663
To seek Council’s approval of nominated community representatives for two, 3 year terms, and one 4 year term on the City of Whittlesea Australia Day Awards Advisory Committee (the Committee) following an expression of interest process.
Four nominations were received at the close of the expression of interest period. The Committee recommended that Mr Mahendra Sukhdeo and Ms Lillian McClelland be appointed to the 3 year term and Ms Michelle Williams be appointed to the 4 year term.
In accordance with the Committee’s Terms of Reference, the three year term of two Committee representatives appointed by Council in 2014 expired in October 2017.
Nominations for the two vacant community representative positions were advertised in the Whittlesea Leader newspaper and on Council’s website inviting expressions of interest.
Four nominations were received at the close of the expression of interest period.
· Rev. Kevin Potter
· Mahendra Sukhdeo
· Lillian McClelland
At the Committee meeting held on 16 October 2017, the Committee considered the expressions of interest in accordance with the Terms of Reference, which sets out the process for determining the appointment of Committee members where there are more nominations than positions available – essentially by drawing a ‘lot’.
· Mahendra Sukhdeo and Lillian McClelland be endorsed and appointed as Community Representatives on the Committee for the period October 2017 to October 2020;
· Michelle Williams be endorsed and appointed as Community Representative on the Committee for the period October 2017 to October 2021; and
· The Committee write to the outgoing Committee member thanking them for their valued contribution on the Committee.
It is recommended that the three community representatives nominated for the Committee be ratified by Council.
THAT Council resolve to ratify the appointment of the following Community Representatives to the City of Whittlesea Australia Day Awards Committee;
a) Mahendra Sukhdeo and Lillian McClelland for a three year term ending 31 October 2020; and
b) Michelle Williams for a four year term ending 31 October 2021.
7.1 Notice of Motion 832 - Youth Discount Card
Author: Cr Emilia Sterjova
Cr Sterjova of North Ward has given notice that it is her intention to move the following Motion at the Ordinary Meeting of Council to be held on Tuesday 31 October 2017 at 6:30pm:
THAT Council resolve to investigate and report back to Council on options for and costs associated with the development of a ‘youth discount card’, in either hard or electronic format. Such a card might provide a range of discounts for young people at retail outlets within the municipality along with information on youth specific programs and services, and should be benchmarked against other Councils.
12.3.1 Waste Contract Tender
File No: 2017_75
Responsible Officer: Manager City Presentation
12.3.2 Traffic Signals Yan Yean Road & Cookes Road Intersection
File No: 193639
Author: Senior Design Engineer
12.3.3 PROVISION OF FUELS AND ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS - CONTRACT NO 2013 -9 A-E EXTENSION REPORT
File No: 192347
12.4.1 Financial Reserves
12.4.2 Contract 2014-4 (MAV TC 4322-2013)
Author: Acting Manager Information Services
12.6.1 MEETINGS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 2 October to 20 October 2017