3.5 DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC TRANSPORT NETWORK RESPONSIBLE OFFICER: EXECUTIVE MANAGER OPERATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE DEPARTMENT: OPERATIONS & INFRASTRUCTURE REFERENCE: 18094948 OFFICER DIRECT OR INDIRECT CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Under Section 80C of the Local Government Act 1989 officers providing advice to Council must disclose any interests, including the type of interest. No person involved in the preparation of this report has a direct or indirect interest requiring disclosure. PURPOSE This report sets out the basis for testing the viability of, and thereafter developing a strategic transport network through a staged engagement process with stakeholders and the community. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Council currently has an asset renewal gap which is largely centred on the renewal of the road network. Current maintenance and renewal standards are based on an access hierarchy. This hierarchy does not necessarily reflect the importance of specific roads for transport associated with agricultural production. One method of improving the service standards of key transport routes is to focus resources to these roads. Taking a strategic approach based on a transport hierarchy can allow savings to be realised through matching service standards more closely with the level of utilisation. It is proposed to commence an engagement process that develops and evaluates this concept. MOVED CR ARMSTRONG SECONDED CR BEALES That Council endorses the commencement of a community and stakeholder engagement process that develops and evaluates the benefits of a strategic transport network. CARRIED 3836/18 BACKGROUND Council has a renewal gap that is largely centred on the sealed and unsealed road network. This gap is conservatively estimated to be about $3 million per year. Rural Councils have large asset bases and relatively small rating and other income bases to maintain and renew these assets. In the context of constraint in relation to increasing rates and with limited and uncertain grant funding streams it is incumbent on Council to find ways of managing the impact of the renewal gap. DISCUSSION It is proposed to undertake a community engagement process in accordance with the stages listed below, to develop a road hierarchy based on strategic transport needs and to enable the definition of service standards that optimise road maintenance and renewal outcome within Council’s capacity to pay. This strategy largely applies to rural roads. The proposed stages are: Form a working group with representatives from all rural regions within the municipality to meet a sufficient number of times to prepare a draft map of the strategic network and to define the service standards applicable to a strategic transport hierarchy. Undertake agency stakeholder engagement to obtain advice and input from agencies such as the CFA and other emergency services.
SECONDED CR BEALES That Council: Receives the Ordinary Meeting minutes of the Pomonal Hall and Reserve Committee of Management meeting held on 7 March 2018; Receives the Ordinary Meeting minutes of the Tatyoon Hall and Recreation Reserve Committee of Management meeting held on 14 March 2018; Receives the Ordinary Meeting minutes of the Willaura Memorial Hall Committee of Management meeting held on 7 December 2017 and 5 April 2018. CARRIED 3839/18 BACKGROUND Section 86 Special Committees are required to report to Council at intervals determined by the Council. A review of the process of receiving and presenting Section 86 Committees minutes is currently carried out. DISCUSSION Summary of Committee Meetings The following updates Council on the meetings held by Council’s Section 86 Committees since the last Council Meeting. Please note that due to the timing of meetings some minutes may not have been confirmed at the time they have been presented to Council. Special Committee Councillor representative Councillor Attendance Current meeting (as presented) Next proposed meeting/s Minutes last presented to Council Alexandra Hall Committee of Management Cr Allgood - 10 May 2018 22 February 2018 Community Sports Centre Committee (including Cobb & Co Building) Cr Braithwaite - Meeting dates not provided 21 November 2017 AGM Elmhurst Public Hall Committee Cr Beales - 12 April 2018 15 February 2018 Lake Bolac Complex Committee Cr Beales - 15 November 2017 4 October 2017 Lake Bolac Memorial Hall Committee Cr Beales - Meeting dates not provided 30 September 2014 Maroona Recreation Reserve Committee Cr Pettman - Meeting not provided. 22 August 2016 Mininera Recreation Reserve Committee Cr Beales - 8 March 2018 12 July 2018 18 October 2018 - Ordinary and AGM 26 October 2017 Ordinary and AGM Moyston Public Hall Committee Cr Pettman - 13 November 2017 22 January 2018 14 May 2018 6 August 2018 5 February 2018 Pomonal Hall & Reserve Committee Cr Braithwaite Attended 7 2018 Meeting dates not provided 6 December 2017 Streatham Memorial Hall Committee Cr Armstrong - Meeting dates not provided 30 October 2017