Agenda of Ordinary Meeting - Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Order of Business

PAGE TAB

Opening

Acknowledgment of Country and Prayer

National Anthem

Apologies

Condolences

Confirmation of Minutes

Ordinary Council Meeting held on 16 October 2024............................................................... 8

Extraordinary Council Meeting held on 12 November 2024.................................................. 39

Declarations of Interest

Public Forum

Mayoral Report

Notices of Motion Of Rescission

NIL

Chief Executive Officer Reports

NIL

Planning & Compliance Reports

PLAN 01 Quarterly Report - Clause 4.6 Variations to Development Standards........... 44......... 1

PLAN 02 Revocation of the Companion Animal Advisory Committee.......................... 47......... 2

Community & Lifestyle Reports

COM 01 Report Back to Council: 2168 Children's Parliament..................................... 56......... 3

COM 02 Grants Donations and Community Sponsorship Report................................ 65......... 4

COM 03 Revocation of the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre Board of Management Charter 78 5

COM 04 Reimagining of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre to Liverpool Powerhouse: Home of Creative Industries...................................................................................... 81......... 6

COM 05 Amendments and Additions to Cultural Venues & Events Fees and Charges 87 7

COM 06 Changes to the Community Facility and Sportsground Hire Policies............ 95......... 8

COM 07 Review of the Code of Meeting Practice

(to be provided in the Addendum Book later in the week)

Corporate Support Reports

CORP 01 Tabling Annual Pecuniary Interest Returns for Councillors and Designated Persons 101 9

CORP 02 Complaints and Compliments Management Policy..................................... 105....... 10

CORP 03 Investment Report October 2024................................................................. 119....... 11

CORP 04 Annual Financial Reports 2023/24............................................................... 129....... 12

CORP 05 Public Inquiry................................................................................................ 131....... 13

CORP 06 FY 2024/25 – Quarter 1, Budget Review

(to be provided in the Addendum Book later in the week)

Customer Experience & Business Performance Reports

CEBP 01 Customer Experience Policy........................................................................ 135....... 14

CEBP 02 Provision of Mail Service for Council............................................................ 145....... 15

CEBP 03 Provision of Australia Post Billpay Service................................................... 148....... 16

CEBP 04 Amendment to the "non-voting" membership of Councillors on the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee.............................................................................. 151....... 17

City Futures Reports

CFD 01 2023-2024 Annual Report............................................................................ 169....... 18

CFD 02 State of our City Report 2022-2024

(to be provided in the Addendum Book later in the week)

Operations Reports

OPER 01 WT3256 Pye Hill Reserve Key Suburb Park Upgrade - Variation to Contract 173 19

OPER 02 Brickmakers Creek - Expansion of Project Site........................................... 176....... 20

OPER 03 Keep Australia Beautiful - Circular Economy Award.................................... 181....... 21

OPER 04 Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations on Public Land Policy................... 185....... 22

OPER 05 Water Play Feature Plant & Equipment Replacement at Macquarie Mall... 188....... 23

Committee Reports

CTTE 01 Minutes of the Liverpool Youth Council Meeting held 13 August 2024....... 192....... 24

CTTE 02 Minutes of the Civic Advisory Committee meeting held on 6 November 2024 199 25

CTTE 03 Minutes of the Liverpool Sports Committee meeting held on 4 September 2024 207 26

CTTE 04 Minutes of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee meeting held on 11 October 2024................................................................................................ 213....... 27

CTTE 05 Minutes of the Governance Committee meeting held on 12 November 2024

(to be provided in the Addendum Book later in the week)

Questions with Notice

QWN 01 Question with Notice - Clr Dr Green - Macquarie Mall Festivals and Financial Sustainability................................................................................................. 227....... 28

QWN 02 Question with Notice - Clr Dr Green - Mosquito Management Plan, Implementation, Funding and Monitoring................................................................................ 233....... 29

Presentations by Councillors

Notices of Motion

NOM 01 Defibrillators at Sporting Fields..................................................................... 236....... 30

NOM 02 Business Stimulation for George Street, Liverpool...................................... 238....... 31

NOM 03 Moorebank Sports Club................................................................................ 240....... 32

NOM 04 Request for Section 430 Inquiry Briefing...................................................... 242....... 33

NOM 05 Mosquitoes.................................................................................................... 243....... 34

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MINUTES OF THE Ordinary Meeting

HELD ON 16 October 2024

PRESENT:

Mayor Ned Mannoun

Councillor Adjei

Councillor Ammoun

Councillor Dr Green

Councillor Harle

Councillor Harte

Councillor Ibrahim

Councillor Karnib

Councillor Macnaught

Councillor Monaghan

Councillor Ristevski

Mr Jason Breton, Acting Chief Executive Officer

Mr Farooq Portelli, Director Corporate Support

Ms Tina Bono, Director Community & Lifestyle

Ms Lina Kakish, Director Planning & Compliance

Mr John Hanlon, Acting Director Customer & Business Performance

Mr Shayne Mallard, Director City Futures

Mr Peter Scicluna, Acting Director Operations

Mr David Galpin, General Counsel, Manager Governance, Legal and Procurement

Mr Vishwa Nadan, Chief Financial Officer

Mr Craig Knappick, Chief People Officer

Ms Jacqueline Newsome, Acting Manager Civic and Executive Services

Mr Sumeet Joseph, Communications Officer, Digital Products

Ms Katrina Harvey, Councillor Executive and Support Officer

Ms Susan Ranieri, Coordinator Council and Executive Services

The meeting commenced at 2.03pm.

ath, Councillors attending remotely and Anthem

STATEMENT REGARDING WEBCASTING OF MEETING

The Mayor reminded everyone that in accordance with Council’s Code of Meeting Practice (other than the Public Forum Section), the meeting is being livestreamed.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY, PRAYER OF COUNCIL AND AFFIRMATION

The prayer of the Council was read by Pastor Claudio Alosi from Living Grace Christian Church.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

The National Anthem was played at the meeting.

STATEMENT REGARDING OATH AND AFFIRMATION OF OFFICE

The Acting Chief Executive Officer read the following statement:

Under Section 233A of the Local Government Act 1993, the Mayor and Councillors are required to take an oath or make an affirmation of office.

Oaths or affirmations of office must be taken or made by each Councillor at or before the first meeting of the Council after being elected.

For the purposes of these meeting minutes, I advise that the Mayor and all Councillors took an oath or affirmation of office at a ceremony held on 11 October 2024.

COUNCILLORS ATTENDING REMOTELY

Nil.

APOLOGIES

Nil.

CONDOLENCES

Nil.

Confirmation of Minutes

Motion: Moved: Clr Macnaught Seconded: Clr Ammoun

That the minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 28 August 2024 be confirmed as a true record of that meeting.

On being put to the meeting the motion was declared CARRIED.

Declarations of Interest

Mayor Mannoun declared a non-pecuniary, less than significant interest in the following item:

Item: CONF 02 - Proposed Acquisition of Part Lot 21 DP 1298349 - 65 Gurner Ave Austral

Reason: Mayor Mannoun’s children attend a school on that street and near that property. Mayor Mannoun also previously worked in real estate within that area.

Mayor Mannoun left the Chamber for the duration of this item.

Public Forum

Presentation – items not on agenda

Nil.

Representation – items on agenda

1. Mr Craig Thomason (PWC, Audit Partner); and

Ms Min Lee, Director Financial Audit (NSW Audit Office)

were invited to give a presentation on Council’s Annual Financial Reports 2023-2024.

Item: CORP 03 – Annual Financial Reports 2023-24.

MAYORAL MINUTES

ITEM NO: MAYOR 01

SUBJECT: Celebrating Liverpool Council’s Success

REPORT OF: Mayor Ned Mannoun

DATE: 16 October 2024

It is with great pride that I congratulate the staff of Liverpool City Council for two significant achievements that truly reflect our city’s commitment to excellence.

I am incredibly proud to announce that our Yellamundie Liverpool Library has earned global recognition, selected as one of the top four libraries in the world by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) at their 2024 conference in Barcelona. This prestigious honour reflects the dedication and innovation of our library staff, who have worked tirelessly to make our library a hub of learning, community engagement, and inclusivity. This international acknowledgment is a testament to the high standards of service and creativity that make Liverpool a leader on the global stage.

In addition to this incredible achievement, I want to extend my congratulations to the teams behind our council projects, which received recognition at the 2024 Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Cities Awards.

“The Croc” Mattress Shredder won the Circular Economy Award, showcasing our city’s leadership in sustainable waste management and our commitment to creating a more circular economy. The Croc was also a finalist in the Resource Recovery category, further emphasising the innovative work being done to address waste challenges in Liverpool.

Liverpool Pioneers Memorial Park was highly commended in the Heritage and Culture category, recognising our efforts to preserve and celebrate the rich history of Liverpool. This commendation is a reflection of the dedication our staff have shown in ensuring that the Memorial Park continues to be a place of significance for our community, while also honouring our past.

These achievements are a reflection of the passion, creativity, and commitment of our current and previous council staff, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to everyone involved. Together, we are making Liverpool a leader in sustainability, heritage preservation, and global excellence. Let us continue to build on these successes, ensuring our community remains a beacon of innovation, culture, and progress for years to come.

COUNCIL DECISION:

Motion: Moved: Mayor Mannoun

That Council:

1. Receive and note this Mayoral Minute and that the recommendation be adopted; and

2. Write to the relevant staff congratulating them.

On being put to the meeting the motion was declared CARRIED.

Councillors voted unanimously for this motion.

Item: MAYOR 02

Subject: Reflection on the Local Elections and Future Priorities for Liverpool

REPORT OF: Mayor Ned Mannoun

DATE: 16 October 2024

As we start a new term, I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the newly appointed councillors. You have earned the trust of our residents, and I have no doubt that your passion, vision, and dedication will serve our community well. I look forward to working closely with each of you as we move forward into a new term filled with both opportunities and challenges.

At the same time, I want to take this moment to thank and farewell those councillors who are not continuing with us. Your contributions have helped shape the progress we’ve made so far, and your commitment to the city of Liverpool will leave a lasting impact. On behalf of the entire community, I extend our deepest gratitude for your service.

The recent election period has provided an invaluable opportunity for both the mayor and the councillors to reconnect with the people we represent. Engaging with our residents across Liverpool, we were able to hear directly from them about their hopes, concerns, and priorities for the future of our city. It is clear that our community is passionate about a range of important issues including infrastructure, safety, and sustainable development.

Based on these priorities, I am requesting the following reports to be provided to Council by the December Council meeting:

1 a report on the installation of lights and CCTV in residential streets in the CBD;

2 a report on reinstating Council’s prior Neighbourhood Zones model which broke up the LGA into 9 zones for a more effective provision of services by area including a timeframe for implementation;

3 a report on street sweeping including frequency and recommendations on how it can be improved;

4 a report on how to expedite the upgrade of Edmondson and Fourth Avenue in Austral including a traffic study to understand road capacity of roads in the area;

5 a report on how to expedite the delivery of parks in Austral and Edmondson Park;

6 the creation of an Edmondson Park Parks Residents Advisory Group to oversee delivery of long overdue parks in the area;

7 a report on the progress of Current VPAs being negotiated including expected completion dates;

8 a report on the amount of contribution funds collected in each area and having those funds available to be used by Council for infrastructure projects in these areas; and

9 a report on potential temporary sites for parking through the CBD including sites under private ownership.

These reports are to include Gantt charts showing relevant milestones and expected completion dates.

These reports will form the foundation of our efforts as we continue to shape Liverpool’s future, ensuring that we address the needs and aspirations of our residents.

Thank you all once again for your trust and support. Together, we will continue building a city that we can all be proud to call home.

COUNCIL DECISION:

Motion: Moved: Mayor Mannoun

That:

1. The following reports be provided to Council by the December Council meeting:

i. a report on the installation of lights and CCTV in residential streets in the CBD;

ii. a report on reinstating Council’s prior Neighbourhood Zones model which broke up the LGA into 9 zones for a more effective provision of services by area including a timeframe for implementation;

iii. a report on street sweeping including frequency and recommendations on how it can be improved;

iv. a report on how to expedite the upgrade of Edmondson and Fourth Avenue in Austral including a traffic study to understand road capacity of roads in the area;

v. a report on how to expedite the delivery of parks in Austral and Edmondson Park;

vi. the creation of an Edmondson Park Parks Residents Advisory Group to oversee delivery of long overdue parks in the area;

vii. a report on the progress of Current VPAs being negotiated including expected completion dates;

viii. a report on the amount of contribution funds collected in each area and having those funds available to be used by Council for infrastructure projects in these areas; and

ix. a report on potential temporary sites for parking through the CBD including sites under private ownership.

x. A report outlining the needs of the 2168 area including hard and social infrastructure, and to draw on other reports Council has on socio demographic information.

2. Councillors undertake a team building workshop that incorporates a respectful practices workshop as part of their professional development.

On being put to the meeting the motion was declared CARRIED.

Councillors voted unanimously for this motion.

MOTION OF URGENCY

ITEM NO:

MOU 01

SUBJECT:

Enes Begovic

Clr Ristevski requested Mayor Mannoun consider a Motion of Urgency in relation to Enes Begovic, an international performer.

He stated that it was urgent as the international performer Enes Begovic will only be here for a short time and is performing in Liverpool and the proposed civic event to be held while he is here will need to occur before the next ordinary council meeting.

In accordance with Clause 9.3 of Council’s Code of Meeting Practice, Mayor Mannoun ruled the above matter as urgent and as such it was dealt with at this meeting as shown below:

RECOMMENDATION

Enes Begovic

On 16 November 2024, singer Enes Begovic will be performing at the BiH Centre in Leppington. Mr. Begovic is an incredibly popular performer in his native Bosnia, frequently attracting crowds of 30,000 – 40,000 people. He is very popular with the local Bosnian community here in Australia and his performance in Leppington is expected to attract a large crowd, highlighting our city as a destination for performers and tourists from around the world.

Liverpool City Council’s commitment to celebrating our multicultural community through its ‘Experience the World’ events and cultural initiatives has forged a key tourism identity for our city. Hosting a performer of Mr. Begovic’s calibre strengthens Liverpool’s reputation as a cultural hub, and a city that reflects cultural inclusivity through unforgettable experiences.

To acknowledge and celebrate Mr. Begovic performing in our LGA, I propose that Council host a small civic reception – for approximately 30 people including Mr. Begovic and his guests, Council, and key community members – on Monday 18 November. At this event, Mr. Begovic would be presented with a plaque or some other token of Liverpool’s appreciation visiting and activating our City.

COUNCIL DECISION:

Motion: Moved: Clr Ristevski Seconded: Clr Macnaught

That Council allocate $2000 from the Civic Events budget to host a small civic reception honouring Enes Begovic on Monday 18 November at the Yellamundie Art Gallery.

On being put to the meeting the motion was declared CARRIED.

Councillors voted unanimously for this motion.

ITEM NO: COM 02

FILE NO: 310706.2024

SUBJECT: Appointment of Councillors to Committees and Affiliated Bodies

COUNCIL DECISION

Motion: Moved: Clr Macnaught Seconded: Clr Monaghan

That:

1. Council determines that a “non-voting” Councillor member is included on the Audit, Risk, and Improvement Committee (ARIC) membership.

2. Council appoints Clr Karnib and Clr Ristevski as a “non-voting member”.

3. A review of all internal Committee charters and structures be undertaken within the next six months, to ensure the Committees are meeting their obligations. To review the ambitions of that Committee have not changed and to assess whether committees are achieving what they set out to achieve and if charters or structures are required to be amended.

4. Council notes all Councillors are representatives of the Civic Advisory Committee and Governance Advisory Committee.

5. Council appoints Councillors as representatives to the following community committees and affiliated bodies for the period to September 2025:

Aboriginal Consultative Committee
Clr Dr Green (Chair) and Clr Ristevski

Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee

Clr Karnib and Clr Ristevski

Note: The appointment of a Councillor to the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee as a “non voting member” will be tabled at a future Council meeting, as only one Councillor can be nominated.

Companion Animal Advisory Committee

Staff to come back to Council at the next Council meeting, if a Councillor appointment is required.

Community Safety and Crime Prevention Advisory Committee
Clr Dr Green.

Environment Advisory Committee
Deputy Mayor Harle, Clr Harte and Clr Karnib.

Heritage Advisory Committee
Deputy Mayor Harle and Clr Harte.

Intermodal Precinct Committee
Clr Adjei, Clr Macnaught and Clr Ristevski.

Liverpool Access Committee
Clr Monaghan.

Liverpool Sports Committee

Clr Adjei Clr Dr Green, Clr Ibrahim, Clr Karnib, Clr Macnaught and Clr Ristevski.

Tourism & CBD Committee

Clr Green, Clr Ibrahim, Clr Karnib, Clr Macnaught and Clr Ristevski.

Liverpool Youth Council
Clr Adjei, Clr Karnib, Clr Macnaught and Clr Monaghan.

Appointment of Councillors to Community Committees and Affiliated Bodies

Civic Risk Mutual Ltd Members Assembly

Staff to come back to Council at the next Council meeting, if a Councillor appointment is required.

Georges River Combined Councils Committee (GRCCC)
Deputy Mayor Harle and Clr Macnaught.

Liverpool Local Traffic Committee

Clr Ammoun and Deputy Mayor Harle.

Note: Deputy Mayor Harle suggested that the staff member be the Chair of this meeting.

Macarthur Bushfire Management Committee
Deputy Mayor Harle.

NSW Public Libraries Association (NSW PLA)
Clr Monaghan.

Sydney Western City Planning Panel

Mayor Mannoun and Clr Ristevski with Clr Ammoun Clr Adjei, Clr Karnib and Deputy Mayor Harle as alternates.

Southwest Sydney Academy of Sport (SWSAS)

Clr Karnib

Clr Ristevski as an alternate.

Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC)

Clr Macnaught and Clr Monaghan as Directors.

Clr Karnib and Clr Ristevski as alternates.

On being put to the meeting the motion was declared CARRIED.

ITEM NO: COM 03

FILE NO: 311490.2024

SUBJECT: Council Meeting Dates - January to December 2025

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Confirms the Council meeting time as 2.00pm and Council meeting dates for the 2025 calendar year as follows:

· 5 February 2025;

· 26 February 2025;

· 26 March 2025;

· 23April 2025;

· 28 May 2025;

· 25 June 2025;

· 23 July 2025;

· 27 August 2025;

· 24 September 2025;

· 22 October 2025;

· 19 November 2025; and

· 10 December 2025.

2. Confirms the Governance Committee meeting time as 10am and the Briefing Sessions to be held directly following the Governance Committee meetings, and meeting dates for the 2025 calendar year as follows:

· 28 January 2025;

· 18 February 205;

· 18 March 2025;

· 15 April 2025;

· 20 May 2025;

· 17 June 2025;

· 15 July 2025;

· 19 August 2025;

· 16 September 2025;

· 14 October 2025;

· 11 November 2025; and

· 2December 2025.

3. Advertises the Council meeting dates and commencing times of Council meetings for the 2025 calendar year.

Mayor Mannoun called a recess of meeting at 3.25pm.

The meeting resumed in open session at 3.49pm with all Councillors present.

COUNCIL DECISION

Motion: Moved: Clr Macnaught Seconded: Clr Harte

That the recommendation be adopted with the following amendment:

· That the meeting in May be held on 21 May 2025 rather than the 28^th May 2025.

On being put to the meeting the motion was declared LOST.

Councillors debated the Foreshadowed motion.

Clr Karnib and Clr Monaghan moved that the motion be put.

Mayor Mannoun ruled that point 2 of the Foreshadowed motion (that the commencement time for the remaining council meetings for 2024 be changed from 2:00pm to 6:00pm) is out of order on the basis that the Code of Meeting Practice needs to be amended.

Clr Monaghan moved a Motion of Dissent.

On being put to the meeting the Motion of Dissent was declared CARRIED.

Division called for the Motion of Dissent

Vote for: Clr Green, Clr Harle, Clr Ibrahim, Clr Karnib, Clr Monaghan and Clr Ristevski.

Vote against: Mayor Mannoun, Clr Adjei, Clr Ammoun, Clr Harte and Clr Macnaught.

Clr Monaghan moved that the Foreshadowed motion (moved by Clr Karnib and Seconded by Clr Harle) in its current form be put. Mayor Mannoun requested a recess to confirm legal advice. Clr Monaghan was content with a recess in order for Mayor Mannoun to receive the legal advice.

Mayor Mannoun requested a recess of meeting at 4.10pm.

The meeting resumed in open session at 4.41pm with all Councillors present.

Mayor Mannoun advised that for the commencement time to change for the remaining Council meetings for 2024 (being 20 November 2024 and 10 December 2024), a Rescission Motion to rescind the resolution for item COM 02 Council Meeting Dates – January to December 2024 from the 13 December 2023 Council meeting, where Council resolved and adopted the Council meeting dates and time for 2024 and an alternate motion to amend the commencement time would need to be resolved and adopted in accordance with Council’s Code of Meeting Practice (section 17.3).

Clr Karnib agreed to remove point 2 with regards to changing the commencement time for the remaining 2024 Council meetings.

Foreshadowed Motion Moved: Clr Karnib Seconded: Clr Harle

That Council:

1. Confirms the Council meeting time to commence at 6:00pm rather than 2:00pm for each monthly meeting for 2025.

2. Confirms the Council meeting dates for the 2025 calendar year as follows:

· 5 February 2025;

· 26 February 2025;

· 26 March 2025;

· 23April 2025;

· 21 May 2025;

· 25 June 2025;

· 23 July 2025;

· 27 August 2025;

· 24 September 2025;

· 22 October 2025;

· 19 November 2025; and

· 10 December 2025.

3. Confirms the Governance Committee meeting time as 10am and the Briefing Sessions to be held directly following the Governance Committee meetings, and meeting dates for the 2025 calendar year as follows:

· 28 January 2025;

· 18 February 205;

· 18 March 2025;

· 15 April 2025;

· 20 May 2025;

· 17 June 2025;

· 15 July 2025;

· 19 August 2025;

· 16 September 2025;

· 14 October 2025;

· 11 November 2025; and

· 2December 2025.

4. Note that the Code of Meeting Practice adopted 26 October 2022 requires clarification with regards to clauses 3.1 and 18.1;

5. Direct the Acting CEO that the Code of Meeting Practice is externally reviewed and a report comes back to Council as a priority;

6. Fund the external review from General Funds;

7. Advertises the Council meeting dates and commencing times of Council meetings for the 2025 calendar year; and

8. Promotes and makes the community aware of the changes in the new year via social media channels.

On being put to the meeting the Foreshadowed Motion (moved by Clr Karnib) became the motion and was declared CARRIED.

Councillors voted unanimously for this motion.

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Planning & Compliance Report

PLAN 02

Revocation of the Companion Animal Advisory Committee

Strategic Objective	Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging Communicate, listen, engage and respond to the community by encouraging community participation
File Ref	343629.2024
Report By	Noelle Warwar - Manager Community Standards
Approved By	Lina Kakish - Director Planning & Compliance

Executive Summary

Since the establishment of the Companion Animal Advisory Committee, Council has made significant progress in the management of companion animals. Key achievements include the development and implementation of a Cat Management Plan, the creation of the Companion Animal Public Liaison Officer role, and the successful launch of a free cat desexing program. Additionally, Council has implemented a No Kill Policy for dogs at its shelter, developed concept plans for a Council-owned animal shelter, and built strong community partnerships with rehoming and welfare organisations such as the RSPCA.

These management functions are now embedded in Council’s day-to-day operations, ensuring that companion animal-related responsibilities are effectively handled by Council's Companion Animal team.

With these initiatives and processes well-established, Council is confident that it can continue this important work independently of a formal advisory committee.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council resolves the dissolution of the Companion Animal Advisory Committee.

REPORT

The Companion Animal Advisory Committee was established following a Council resolution on 26 February 2020.

Since then, Council has made significant progress in the management of companion animals, including:

1. Developed Cat Management Plan and continued implementation of the five focus areas.

2. Created the Companion Animal Public Liaison Officer to implement initiatives outlined in the Cat Management Plan.

3. Launching a free cat desexing program, which has successfully desexed over 500 cats since commencing the program in Jan 2022.

4. Implementing and maintaining a No Kill Policy. Successfully reuniting dogs with their owners or rehoming dogs impounded at our shelter who are not reclaimed by their owners.

5. Developing concept plans for a Council-owned animal shelter, noting that this is a project managed by the Property Section of Council.

6. Fostering strong relationships with the community through monthly community events, and partnerships with animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA.

7. Writing to the Local Government NSW, and its umbrella organisations to lobby on behalf of its members to address the stray cat problem.

8. Providing quarterly reports to the Mayor and Councillors and annually via the Annual Report on the number of dogs and cats:

o Surrendered by owner

o Seized/Impounded by Council; and of those how many were;

§ Returned to owner

§ Rehomed

§ Sent to rescue organisation

§ Unsuitable animals euthanised/deceased

§ Still in shelter at the time of the report

With these initiatives and practices firmly in place, the focus on companion animals is proven and well managed by Council's Companion Animal team, whose commitment to the community and its companion animals goes beyond the minimum statutory requirements. Thereby allowing Council to maintain focus without the need for an additional formal committee.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	There are no economic and financial considerations.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	Support community organisations, groups and volunteers to deliver coordinated services to the community.
Civic Leadership	Encourage the community to engage in Council initiatives and actions. Provide information about Council’s services, roles and decision making processes.
Legislative	Include any relevant legislation and section here. There are no legislative considerations relating to this report.
Risk	There is no risk associated with this report.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Companion Animals Advisory Committee Terms of Reference

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Community & Lifestyle Report

COM 01

Report Back to Council: 2168 Children's Parliament

Strategic Objective	Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging Communicate, listen, engage and respond to the community by encouraging community participation
File Ref	315382.2024
Report By	Javeria Hoda - Community Development Worker Funding & Support
Approved By	Tina Bono - Director Community & Lifestyle

Executive Summary

At its meeting on 28 August 2024 Council resolved to:

1. Bring a report back to the October Council Meeting that details how Council currently, and in the long-term plans to address matters raised by the 2168 Children’s Parliament. These matters include:

a. Improvement of street lighting around local shopping centre/s and parks;

b. Increase speed humps around the local shopping centres;

c. Implementation of alcohol free zones;

d. Increase CCTV, security (and Police Patrols) and other safety measures identified, including increase in signage to reduce speeding;

e. Provide a report on how to improve park maintenance that includes toilet cleaning, maintenance, signage and amenities (soap and toilet paper);

f. Write to the Minister of Police NSW and LAC requesting more resources in the area to conduct patrols, deterrence and increase safety;

g. Write to the local shopping centres asking for improvements in the collection of shopping trolleys;

h. Write to the local members regarding these issues; and

i. Multilingual educational signage to encourage better environmental responsibilities by citizens.

2. Bring a report on back to the October Council Meeting on funding strategies to implement Miller Social Infrastructure Masterplan including state and federal funds that:

a. Were endorsed in 2021 for improvement of parks and;

b. Includes a status report (current state) on the motions passed in 2021.

In response to Item 1 (above), Council has established an internal Working Group in collaboration with several departments including Planning and Compliance, Traffic and Transport, Recreation Services, and Community Development. The purpose of this Working Group is to address the above matters raised at the August Council meeting and provide information about Council’s existing delivery programs and proposed plans.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Receives and notes this report; and

2. Identify sources of funding for action items to undertake auditing and research for lighting and parks maintenance, and road modifications to align with safety recommendations.

REPORT

Background

The 2168 Children’s Parliament (the Parliament) is a unique child-centered deliberative democracy initiative. Established in 2016, it aims to raise children’s awareness and understanding of their rights and to encourage civic participation by providing a platform for children to develop and voice their opinions and ideas on matters that are important to them. The Parliament is a core activity of the Stronger Children, Stronger Communities Project (SCCP), funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Communities 4 Children (C4C) program and administered by Mission Australia - Miller Pathways (Mission Australia).

Annually, the Parliament recruits 44 children 9-12 years of age from eleven primary schools in the 2168 postcode area and Lurnea Primary School and engages children through child-friendly platforms. Drawing participation from one of Liverpool’s most socioeconomically disadvantaged and culturally diverse postcodes, the Parliament assists children and families in disadvantaged locations to actively participate in their community and decision-making processes.

Parliamentarians conduct research and collect data from their peers on issues that concern them within their local area. This research informs and guides the Parliamentarians to develop presentations, which are presented to a panel of Ambassadors at Parliament sittings in June and November each year. The panel of Ambassadors includes representatives from:

· Council (the Mayor);

· NSW Department of Education;

· Western Sydney University;

· National Children’s Commissioner;

· Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP); and

· Federal Parliament.

At the August Council meeting, student representatives from the Parliament addressed Councillors and represented concerns raised in the Parliament regarding community safety, maintenance of community facilities, and investment into community infrastructure. Council subsequently resolved to undertake a number of actions in response to the items raised.

At the Parliament 2^nd Sitting on November 13, 2024, children will receive a progress report from Council and the Ambassadors regarding their recommendations.

To prepare for this an internal Working Group consisting of representatives across Council’s business units was established to investigate matters raised. The table below shares responses in relation to the Council resolution:

1. Bring a report back to the October Council Meeting those details how Council currently, and the long-term plan, to address matters raised by the 2168 Children’s Parliament that includes:

Resolution Item

Response

a. Improvement of street lighting around local shopping centre/s and parks;

· Council’s Road and Safety Team will conduct a street light audit at night around Miller shopping centre and local parks.

· The costs associated with implementation of audit findings have not been considered in Councils operating budget.

· Indicative cost estimates for CPTED Street Lighting and Traffic Harmonisation reports is expected to be approximately $10,000 and $40,000 respectively. Costs for implementation have not been considered in these estimates.

Costs are not included in the current 24/25 operational and capital budget.

b. Increase speed humps around the local shopping centres;

· Council has approved, in principle, a High Pedestrian Activity Area (HPAA) for the Miller Shops Precinct. This will include but are not limited to:

- Raised thresholds on entry to the local area; and

- 40km/h shared zones on some roads.

· Subject to a funding source being identified, the Traffic Committee has also approved the following items:

- Installation of two asphalt speed humps on Sadlier Ave, either side of Celebration Road Heckenberg;

- Installation of raised thresholds across approaches to the roundabout at the Intersection North Liverpool Rd & Wilson Rd, Green Valley;

- Modifications to roundabout to improve safety at the intersection of South Liverpool Rd & St Johns Rd, Busby; and

- Installation of raised thresholds across approaches to the roundabout at the Intersection of South Liverpool Rd & Whitford Rd, Green Valley.

Council Officers have estimated that the costs associated with delivery is expected to be in the vicinity of $150,000.

Costs are not included in the current 24/25 operational and capital budget.

c. Implementation of alcohol-free zones

· The ‘Alcohol-Free Zones’ signage have been updated and installed in September 2024 on roads and footpaths in the following areas:

- Cartwright Avenue in front of Jersey Park opposite to Miller Shopping Centre;

- Miller Shopping Centre Car Park;

- Shropshire Street, Miller;

- Miller Community Hub;

- William Drive, shop frontage located in front of Cartwright Park;

- Woodward Crescent, Miller;

- Green Valley Road Shops around and near shop frontage; and

- Khancoban Located in front of shop frontage, Heckenberg.

· “Coffee with a Cop’ is an ongoing initiative in the 2168 area, providing an opportunity for the Miller community to engage with senior police officers and raise concerns regarding community and road safety in the local area.

· In September 2023, Liverpool Police conducted a safety audit in Miller Square, with recommendations made by Police actioned by relevant Council departments.

d. Increase CCTV, security (and Police Patrols) and other safety measures identified, including increase in signage to reduce speeding;

· Mayor Mannoun wrote to the Minister of Police and LAC requesting additional anti-speeding signage in the 2168 postcode and increased Police patrol.

· Council Operations team to conduct an audit and investigation to assess the safety and security issues at Miller Shopping Centre and Green Valley Shopping Centre.

Costs for any additional O/T associated for the audit are not included in the current 24/25 operational and capital budget.

e. A report on how to improve park maintenance that includes toilet cleaning, maintenance, signage and amenities (soap and toilet paper);

· An Audit will be conducted by the Recreation Team to prepare the report on park maintenance and improvement. The Audit will include visiting parks and assessing the toilets, current maintenance schedule and needs of the community that use the park. The expected date of the audit to be complete and report to be presented is 30 Jan 2025.

Costs for any additional O/T associated for the audit are not included in the current 24/25 operational and capital budget.

f. Writes to the Minister of Police NSW and LAC requesting more resources in the area to conduct patrols, deterrence and increase safety;

· Mayor Mannoun wrote to the Minister of Police and Liverpool LAC in October 2024 addressing these issues and seeking an increase in Police presence within the 2168 area.

g. Writes to the local shopping centres asking for improves in the collection of shopping trolleys;

· Mayor Mannoun wrote to Miller Central Shopping Centre and Green Valley Plaza in October 2024 outlining the issues raised and requesting a collaborative approach to rectification.

h. Writes to the local members regarding these issues; and

· Mayor Mannoun wrote to Member for Liverpool Charisma Kaliyanda in October 2024 outlining the concerns raised by parliamentarians.

i. Multilingual educational signage to encourage better environmental responsibilities by citizens.

· Council’s Environment team is working with Liverpool Migrant Resource Centre to develop Anti-Littering Signage in multiple languages, with an intention to place educational materials in parks and targeted community areas in the 2168 postcode.

The team has previously designed and installed ‘Do not Feed the Birds’ Signage around the LGA and are working with the Communications team to translate into languages that dominant in 2168 community areas.

2. Brings a report back to the October Council Meeting on funding strategies to implement Miller Social Infrastructure Masterplan including state and federal funds that:

At its February 2021 Meeting, Council resolved to adopt the Miller Social infrastructure Masterplan (MSIMP). At that meeting Council resolved to:

1. Receives and notes the report;

2. Adopts the revised Draft Miller Social Infrastructure Masterplan;

3. Commences the development of a staged Implementation Strategy; and

4. Report back the findings of the Implementation Strategy by June 2021.

The MSIMP was a collaborative approach to the planning of social infrastructure within the Miller community. The MSIMP was developed with significant consultation with a network of agencies who play pivotal roles in the provision of social, mental and physical wellbeing services to the Miller community, and outlines the redevelopment of the Miller Town Centre with Miller Town Square acting as a centre focal point.

This Social Infrastructure Masterplan aligns with the strategic planning priorities of Liverpool City Council. Those being: connectivity, productivity, liveability and sustainability.

The Masterplan also aligns with the directions of the Liverpool Community Strategic Plan to:

· Create connection

· Strengthen and protect the environment

· Generate opportunity

· Lead through collaboration.

At a high-level, the MSIMP considers the needs of the 2168 community and proposes the development of significant infrastructure to as a conduit to deliver the services, facilities, activities and programs to create a vibrant and liveable community.

The Masterplan proposes the redevelopment of the Miller Town Square including:

· The reimagining of the CR O’Brien Centre to support a new four (4) story integrated community hub that includes library, spaces for creative and performing arts, bookable community spaces, and commercial spaces;

· The repositioning of Lady Woodward Park to act as a central public park space suitable for market stalls, events, passive outdoor recreation and street revitalisation;

· The development of a Community Health Centre delivering community specialist health and wellbeing services including dental, aboriginal health and social services

· Establishment of world leading social housing projects; and

· The redevelopment of Michael Wenden Swimming Centre to act as the centrepiece of a network of recreation spaces.

The Strategic cost associated with the implementation of the MISP was estimated in 2021 by Ethos Urban as:

Item	Cost $ (Ex GST)
Placemaking and Streetscapes		$6,356,000
Integrated Community Hub		$37,139,000
Michael Wenden Aquatic Centre		$66,142,000
Parks		$5,201,000
Sports and Improvements		$5,431,000
Total Construction Costs		$119,269,000

Council should note significant cost escalations should be factored into current cost to deliver, where a revised QS will need to be conducted have Council progress further. To date, a source of funding to proceed with the MSIMP beyond the planning phase has not been secured. In 2022 as part of the WestInvest Competitive funding round, Council applied for the full cost of the project which was unsuccessful.

Council secured $600,000 through the NSW Public Legacy Fund to partially fund the delivery of upgrades to the McGirr Park. This project is currently being undertaken and will be delivered in two (2) stages; a regional level playground (December 2024) and a Youth breakout space (June 2025).

A strategy to match funding opportunities against the MSIMP with potential grant funding sources is currently being developed and more detail can be provided at the December 2024 Council meeting.

Council has identified several future funding opportunities to support the progressive delivery of the MSIMP:

· Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program (One-off Federal grant) – currently open, Stream 1: $500,000 to $5 million, Stream 2: $5,000,000 to $50 million;

· Public Library Infrastructure Grants (reoccurring State grant) – currently open, up to $500,000;

· Get NSW Active (reoccurring State grant), currently open, Strategy/plan development project: $30,000 to $100,000, Design project: $50,000 to $1,000,000, Construction project: $100,000 to $5,000,000, Get Kids Active (construction project): $100,000 to $800,000;

· Clubsgrant Infrastructure Grants (reoccurring State grant) – Opening for submissions soon, Community Infrastructure: $50,000 to $250,000, Sport and Recreation: $50,000 to $300,000, Arts and Culture: $50,000 to $200,000;

· Metropolitan Greenspace Program (reoccurring State grant) – Not currently open for submissions;

· Community Building Partnership (reoccurring State grant) – Not currently open for submissions.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The costs associated with implementing the recommendations from the 2168 Children’s Parliament have not been considered in the operating budget. Indicative costings estimates are demonstrated in the table within each action.

Council should note that the implementation of audit outcomes contained in items 1a, 1d, and 1e is unknown.

The 2021 cost estimates of $119,000,000 (excluding site investigations, feasibility study, detailed design, environmental assessments, DA submission or escalations) for the completion of the MSIMP has not been considerers in Council’s long-term financial plan. An updated QS Report (est. $30,000) will be required to obtain an update assessment of delivery costs.

Summary of immediate costs for implementation:

Improvement of street lighting around local shopping centre/s and parks	$50,000(approx.)
Increase speed humps around the local shopping centres;	$150,000 (approx)
MSIMP QS Review	$30,000(approx)

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	The financial impacts are outlined in the report above.
Environment	Raise community awareness and support action in relation to environmental issues.
Social	Support policies and plans that prevent crime.
Civic Leadership	Foster neighborhood pride and a sense of responsibility. Deliver services that are customer focused.
Legislative	There are no legislative considerations relating to this report.
Risk	There is no risk associated with this report.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Community & Lifestyle Report

COM 02

Grants Donations and Community Sponsorship Report

Strategic Objective	Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging Promote a harmonious community that celebrates its diversity
File Ref	343684.2024
Report By	Javeria Hoda - Community Development Worker Funding & Support
Approved By	Tina Bono - Director Community & Lifestyle

Executive Summary

Council is committed to building strong and resilient communities in the Liverpool Local Government Area (LGA) and maximising social wellbeing. Council helps achieve these goals by providing financial support through grants and sponsorships to develop leadership skills, increase participation in community activities and address identified social issues.

This report provides a recommendation for endorsement of funding totalling $62,390 from the Community Grant Program and Community Sponsorship Program.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Endorses the funding recommendation of $32,390 (GST exclusive) under the Community Grant Program for the following projects:

Applicant	Project	Recommended
ESCA Bags	Domestic Violence Escape Bags Program	$10,000
Stand Tall Australia Limited	Stand Tall Liverpool Event	$10,000
Good360 Australia	Bridging the digital divide in Liverpool	$9,840
Grand Pacific Health Headspace Liverpool	Path to Resilience	$2,550

2. Endorses the funding recommendation of $30,000 (GST exclusive) under the Community Sponsorship Program for the following project:

Applicant	Project	Recommended
Heroes With Ability	International Disability Day and School Gala	$10,000
NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors	African Women's Dinner Dance - Women Celebrating Cultures	$10,000
Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Australia	Deepawali Mela	$10,000

REPORT

Community Grants Program

The Community Grant Program received four applications which met the eligibility criteria and are recommended for funding as follows:

Applicant	Escabags Ltd
Project	Escape Bags for Domestic & Family Abuse
Amount Requested	$10,000	Total Project Cost	$ 10,000
Location	Liverpool LGA	Date	Oct 2024 to Sep 2025
About the Applicant	Escabags Ltd is an Australian registered charity that provide free ‘Escape Bags’ for families and individuals fleeing domestic and family abuse. Since being founded in Feb 2020, Escabags have now distributed 12,500 Single Adult & Parent/Child bags Australia wide through a network of 1,700 Escabags suppliers. The charity recognises Liverpool LGA has the 4^th highest incidence for domestic violence related assaults in NSW, with a vision to expand the program to communities in need. Liverpool Council is a proud partner of the ‘escabags’ initiative, with several donation bins placed around Civic Place.
Description	Objectives: Escabags LTD aim to provide a practical and tangible solution to reduce the need for people fleeing domestic violence to re-enter dangerous scenario to collect their belongings. The bags are non-gender specific and include the essential items needed in the initial days of leaving whilst seeking further support. The grant provided will fund the purchase of 250 additional Escabags to be allocated within the LGA. The Escabags are available for discreet collection at the following locations in the Liverpool LGA: · Hunts Hotel Casula · Changing Lives Support Services · Community Café · Liverpool Women’s Health Centre · Liverpool Woman's Resource Centre · Service NSW · Department of Communities and Justice-Housing Liverpool · Women’s Homelessness Support Service · Fiji Diaspora Women's Alliance Inc · Women’s Homelessness Support Service · Liverpool Catholic Club · Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre. Outcomes: · Increase the level of support available to people experiencing domestic violence in the LGA; · Promote awareness of domestic and family abuse within the community; and · Provide a safe option for individuals escaping dangerous situations due to domestic violence.
Beneficiaries	· 1000 individuals escaping domestic or family abuse; and · Volunteers, support groups and local organisations that support families.
Assessment	Recommended Funding - $10,000 The project aligns with the Community Strategic Plan Objective 1 - Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging and meets the Community Grants Program’s funding priorities. Expected program outcomes 7.4.1 b) and c).

Applicant	Stand Tall Australia Limited
Project	Stand Tall Liverpool 2024
Amount Requested	$10,000	Total Project Cost	$111,111
Location	Liverpool Catholic Club, 424 - 458 Hoxton Park Rd, Prestons NSW 2170	Date	30- 31 October 2024
About the Applicant	Stand Tall is a registered not-for-profit organisation that delivers events and programs aimed at supporting the mental health and wellbeing of young people. Stand Tall addresses national high school curriculum outcomes for PDHPE by gathering world class athletes, popular musicians, and inspirational speakers, who all share their life experiences in a relevant and relatable way to Australian teenagers. The 2024 Event is the first Stand Tall held in Liverpool.
Description	Objectives: Stand Tall aims to prevent youth suicide and reduce the prevalence of depression, anxiety and self-harm in young people through their events. The organisation aims to address these issues by providing speakers to assist in building resilience and instilling coping skills in young people through the program. Funding is requested to provide free tickets to over 600 students from schools within the Liverpool LGA, including Liverpool Girls High School, John Edmondson High School. Outcomes: · Reduce barriers for young people seeking assistance in managing mental health and wellbeing; · Improved social wellbeing through prevention and early intervention programs; · Promote awareness and access to support services that target suicide prevention; and · Reduce number of young people experiencing suicidal tendencies in the Liverpool LGA through connections to programs that build capacity and enable self-resilience.
Beneficiaries	· 600+ local students; and · Local families struggling with the rising cost of living.
Assessment	Recommended Funding - $10,000 The project aligns with the Community Strategic Plan Objective 1 - Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging and meets the Community Grant Program funding priorities. Expected program outcomes 7.4.1 a), b), c), and d) Funding for this activity is recommended in accordance with clause 6.2.9 of the Grants, Donations and Community Sponsorship Policy, which states: · Under exceptional circumstances, an organisation that is partnering with Council may receive funding up to one (1) month after the delivery of an event or program, provided that the application for funding has been commenced prior to the delivery of the event.

Applicant	Good360 Australia
Project	Bridging the Digital Divide in Liverpool
Amount Requested	$9,840	Total Project Cost	$ 59,983
Location	Liverpool LGA	Date	November 2024 – November 2025
About the Applicant	Good360 Australia is a not-for-profit community focused organisation determined to connect charities, schools and vulnerable individuals with businesses willing to donate unsold or surplus goods and services. The organisation works with over 70 charities and disadvantaged schools in the Liverpool LGA, providing financial and food relief to thousands of families every month. Good360 aims to expand its services by investing in a digital literacy program to equip vulnerable communities with digital skills.
Description	Objective: Good360 Australia recognises the need to be digitally proficient to fully participate in today’s online world. ‘Bridging the Digital Divide in Liverpool’ project will distribute 41 refurbished, high specification, retired corporate devices with access to free data to community organisations in Liverpool. These organisations will be equipped to run programs and access online libraries. Furthermore, the initiative will distribute devices to individuals in the community to support their education, training, job search and access to information and services including banking, government services and social media. Through trusted networks including Liverpool Women’s Health Centre and Liverpool Girls High School, the program aims to bridge the digital literacy gap in an increasingly online world. Outcomes: · Improve digital literacy and knowledge of online platforms that boosts confidence and develop skills in using technology; · Enhanced sense of independence and self-efficacy in vulnerable communities; · Improved access to education and training and improved employment pathways to reduce financial insecurity; and · Increased community participation and reduced loneliness and isolation for families and vulnerable individuals.
Beneficiaries	· Liverpool’s vulnerable community; and · Community charity organisations that support digital literacy.
Assessment	Recommended Funding - $9,840 The project aligns with the Community Strategic Plan Objective 1 - Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging, Objective 3 - Evolving, Prosperous, Innovative, Objective and meets the Community Grant Program funding priorities. Expected program outcomes 7.4.1 a), b), c), d), e) and f).

Applicant	Grand Pacific Health Headspace Liverpool
Project	Path to Resilience
Amount Requested	$2,550	Total Project Cost	$ 4,150
Location	Burns Outdoor Obstacle Training 25 Dwyer Road, Bringelly NSW 2556	Date	19 December 2024
About the Applicant	Headspace Liverpool provides free and confidential youth mental health service, actively supporting young people and their friends and family in the Liverpool LGA. Through several approachable ways, including community engagement activities in high schools and in-house programs, Headspace supports young people overcome challenges around mental health, physical and sexual health, drug and alcohol, and education and employment.
Description	Objective: The Path to Resilience event is a partnership project between Headspace and The Salvation Army. Both organisations aim to build social connections and for their clients through fun and interactive team-based activities. Through the day, participants will also engage in activities that strengthen coping skills whilst sharing resources and services available to young people. Funding is requested to deliver the event inclusive of engaging activities, lunch and transport to and from the event for young people who are experiencing social and financial disadvantages. Outcomes: · Reduce social isolation and provide opportunities for young people to build peer connections; and · Reduce barriers for young people to access support services that address mental health and wellbeing (including drug use and addiction).
Beneficiaries	· Young people and staff at Liverpool Headspace and Salvation Army
Assessment	Recommended Funding - $2,550 The project aligns with the Community Strategic Plan Objective 1 - Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging and meets the Community Grant Program funding priorities. Expected program outcomes 7.4.1 a), d), e) and h).

Community Sponsorship Program

The Community Sponsorship Program received three applications which met the eligibility criteria and are recommended for funding as follows:

Applicant	Heroes With Ability
Project	International Day of People with Disability and School Gala Day
Amount Requested	$10,000	Total Project Cost	$10,000
Location	Carnes Hill Community Precinct	Date	15 Nov and 3 December 2024
About the Applicant	Heroes with Ability (HWA) is a not-for-profit organisation providing a modified sports program for people living with a disability in the Liverpool LGA. HWA works closely with young people from local schools to increase participation and inclusivity in sporting programs. The group has a strong presence in Liverpool and delivers its comprehensive inclusive sports program at Michael Clarke Recreation Centre.
Description	Objectives: The delivery of two programs ‘HWA Schools Gala Day’ and ‘2024 International Day for People with Disability Inclusion Day’ are designed to empower young people with disabilities to represent their schools and showcase their abilities in a multi sports day event. The events are aimed at raising awareness around youth inclusiveness through sporting programs whilst celebrating each child’s ability and determination. Outcomes: · Improved physical and mental wellbeing of people living with disability; · Increase community participation and community connection for students, families, schools, and support agencies; · Celebrate diversity and promote inclusion; and · Promotes Liverpool’s reputation as a great place to live, work, and invest, with promotional opportunities for Council.
Beneficiaries	· 800+ participants, families of people with disability, disability support groups, and local schools.
Assessment	Recommended Funding - $10,000 The project aligns with the Community Strategic Plan Objective 1 - Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging, Strategic Plan Objective 3 - Evolving, Prosperous, Innovative Strategic Plan Objective 4 – Visionary, Leading, Responsible and meets the Community Sponsorship Program funding priorities. Expected program outcomes 7.7.1 a), b), c), d), and e)

Applicant	NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS)
Project	African Women's Dinner Dance - Women Celebrating Cultures
Amount Requested	$10,000	Total Project Cost	$52,167
Location	Liverpool Catholic Club, 424 Hoxton Park Road, Prestons NSW 2170	Date	19 October 2024
About the Applicant	STARTTS is a not-for-profit organisation that was established in 1988. The organisation provides culturally sensitive psychological treatment and support, to help people and communities heal from torture and refugee trauma. Through community interventions, STARTTS helps refugee groups rebuild their lives in Australia. STARTTS is applying for funding as an auspice, on behalf of the African Women Community Support Group (AWCSG), a local organization supporting African Women in the Liverpool LGA.
Description	Objectives: The African Women’s Dinner Dance is a multicultural event aimed at celebrating cultural diversity in Liverpool and providing opportunities for women of different cultures to connect. The event will engage Liverpool’s African community with cultural performances, guest speakers, food, live music and a vibrant display of cultural attire. STARTTS are requesting funding to provide tickets to 100 women who otherwise would not be able to attend due to financial restraints. Outcomes: · Celebrate cultural diversity and promote inclusion within the Liverpool LGA; · Reduce social isolation in refugee and migrant groups across the Liverpool LGA; · Connect African women living in the Liverpool LGA with wellbeing opportunities and social networks that encourage connection; and · Promotes Liverpool’s reputational as a great place to live, work, and invest.
Beneficiaries	· 100 community members (Migrant and Refugee community); · STARTTS, Refugee and Migrant Support Services; and · African Women Community Support Group.
Assessment	Recommended Funding - $10,000 The project aligns with the Community Strategic Plan Objective 1 - Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging, Objective 2 - Livable, Sustainable, Resilient, and meets the Community Sponsorship funding priorities. Expected program outcomes 7.7.1 a), b), c) and e). Funding for this activity is recommended in accordance with clause 6.2.9 of the Grants, Donations and Community Sponsorship Policy, which states: · Under exceptional circumstances, an organisation that is partnering with Council may receive funding up to one (1) month after the delivery of an event or program, provided that the application for funding has been commenced prior to the delivery of the event.

Applicant	Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Australia
Project	Deepawali Mela (Diwali Festival)
Amount Requested	$10,000	Total Project Cost	$38,800
Location	Northumberland Street Carpark 120-232 Northumberland St, Liverpool NSW 2170	Date	26 and 27 October 2024
About the Applicant	Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Australia Inc (SSDPSAI) is a volunteer-based not-for-profit organisation. Their mission is to unite people from all walks of life, help the community, nurture the environment, and celebrate Indian culture through various inclusive community-based events. (SSDPSAI) is a well-known in the local community for organising the annual Deepawali Festival that draws thousands of visitors to the Liverpool CBD every year to take part in a vibrant cultural event.
Description	Deepawali Mela (Diwali Festival) is an Indian event celebrating the festival of lights. This multicultural occasion celebrates traditions and culture through various activities and a musical extravaganza - attracting thousands of visitors to the Liverpool LGA. The event brings together community members from all backgrounds to engage in a cultural experience that showcases Liverpool’s diversity. Outcomes: · Celebrate Liverpool’s diversity and promote social inclusion; · Deliver economic benefit to the Liverpool LGA by promoting local businesses and vendors; · Promote tourism through regional, national, and international visitors; and · Promotes Liverpool’s reputational as a great place to live, work, and invest.
Beneficiaries	· 10,000 residents and visitors in attendance; · Local talent (artists and performers); and · Local businesses and vendors.
Assessment	Recommended Funding - $10,000 The project aligns with the Community Strategic Plan Objective 1 - Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging, Objective 2 - Livable, Sustainable, Resilient, and meets the Community Sponsorship funding priorities. Expected program outcomes 7.7.1 a), b), c), d) and e). Funding for this activity is recommended in accordance with clause 6.2.9 of the Grants, Donations and Community Sponsorship Policy, which states: · Under exceptional circumstances, an organisation that is partnering with Council may receive funding up to one (1) month after the delivery of an event or program, provided that the application for funding has been commenced prior to the delivery of the event.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Costs associated with this recommendation have been included in Council’s budget for the current year and long-term financial plan. A full breakdown of operating budget is included below.

COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP
Budget	Balance	Recommendation for funding in this report	Remaining
$150,000	$69,000	$30,000	$39,000
COMMUNITY GRANTS
Budget	Balance	Recommendation funding in this report	Remaining
$152,000	$ 61,002	$32,390	$28,612
MATCHING GRANTS
Budget	Balance	Recommendation for funding in this report	Remaining
$100,000	$52,193	Nil	$52,193
SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT GRANTS*
Budget	Balance	Recommendation for funding in this report	Remaining
$75,000	$75,000	Nil	$75,000
COMBINED FUNDING BALANCE
Combined Budget	Combined Balance	Total recommendation for funding in this report	Remaining
$477,000	$257,195	$62,390	$194,805

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	The financial impacts are outlined in the report above.
Environment	Raise community awareness and support action in relation to environmental issues.
Social	Support community organisations, groups, and volunteers to deliver coordinated services to the community.
Civic Leadership	Foster neighborhood pride and a sense of responsibility. Operate a well-developed governance system that demonstrates accountability, transparency, and ethical conduct.
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993, including sections 24 and 356. The council may by resolution contribute money or otherwise grant financial assistance to people for the purpose of exercising its functions. Council’s grant programs are targeted to ensure a lawful and consistent approach to its contributions and financial assistance. Key functions that are supported are Council’s functions of providing goods, services, and facilities, and conducting activities, appropriate to the current and future needs within the Liverpool local community and of the wider public, subject to the Local Government Act, the regulations, and any other law.
Risk	There is no risk associated with this report.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Community & Lifestyle Report

COM 04

Reimagining of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre to Liverpool Powerhouse: Home of Creative Industries

Strategic Objective	Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging Improve liveability and quality of life for the community by delivering vibrant parks, places and facilities
File Ref	366846.2024
Report By	Clara McGuirk - Manager Cultural Venues and Events
Approved By	Tina Bono - Director Community & Lifestyle

Executive Summary

Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC) is a cultural facility operated by Liverpool City Council. Originally built in 1951 and then named Liverpool Powerhouse, the building served as a power station until its closure in 1976. Following its decommissioning, Liverpool City Council purchased the site, and the residents of Liverpool voted by plebiscite to repurpose the building as an Arts Centre.

Historically CPAC has been isolated from the Liverpool City Council corporate structure, and perceivably disassociated from Council. Anecdotally, feedback gathered from residents during community engagement at Council events suggests that there is still a significant lack of awareness about Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and its offerings. Despite the CPACs role as a major cultural facility, and profile within the arts sector, many community members are still unfamiliar with where the Centre is and what it does. This points to a critical gap in local visibility that needs to be addressed.

As Liverpool continues to grow into a significant cultural hub for Western Sydney, the role of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre will become more pivotal in shaping Liverpool’s identity and its position as a key destination for tourism both locally and internationally, increasingly with Western Sydney International Airport due to open in 2026.

Together with a structural change in 2022, Casula Powerhouse has been steadily undergoing a strategic shift in its vision which resonates in new programming priorities and an elevation in its marketing and brand presence. This shift aims to align with recent state and federal cultural policies in demonstrating engagement with the wider creative industries including digital media, design, music, film as well as traditional art forms.

It’s together with this evolution in its offerings that reflect community interests, trends and more immersive experiences which provides a prime opportunity to consider a name change of the Centre to Liverpool Powerhouse: Home of the Creative Industries. This represents a dual-fold approach that, together with expanded programming, aims to reintroduce and reaffirm the Centre as a dynamic hub for the broader creative industries, not just a traditional arts venue. A branding change to Liverpool Powerhouse will create stronger alignment with Liverpool’s growing profile and strategic goals. It reinforces Liverpool’s status as a key destination for arts and culture in Sydney.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Endorse that ‘Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre’ revert back to ‘Liverpool Powerhouse’ with the subheading ‘Home of the Creative Industries’;

2. Place on a 28 day public exhibition period so that we can accept feedback from the community on this potential change; and

3. Acknowledge that the immediate cost to Council will be approximately $37,000 which include the purchase of new tourist wayfinding signage, metal building fixtures and re-printing building vinyl. This will be taken from operational savings.

REPORT

Background

Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre has achieved considerable success with innovative exhibitions showcasing established and emerging artists, highlighting work that showcases the cultural diversity of the Liverpool region. While this focus has earned the Centre recognition within the arts sector and among dedicated art enthusiasts, there has been a noticeable disconnect with the broader Liverpool community. Many residents, despite the richness of CPACs early programming, seemed either unaware of or indifferent to the Centre’s offerings and subsequently visitation to the Centre has been mediocre.

Casula Powerhouse has been undergoing a shift in programming and an elevation in its marketing and brand presence, aiming to align with recent state and federal cultural policies in demonstrating engagement with the wider creative industries including digital media, design, music, film as well as traditional art forms.

This shift in programming and promotional strategies provides an opportunity to re-brand the Center to Liverpool Powerhouse and align the Centre with Liverpool’s growing profile.

The goal is not to dilute the quality of art shown at the Centre or its importance, but to present it in ways that engage a wider audience - creating a cultural hub that is both respected in the arts industry and cherished by the people of Liverpool.

Reimagining programming at the Centre

Recently CPAC has undergone a shift in programming that reflects community interests by offering experiential and participatory initiatives, ensuring that the arts are not just something to observe but something to experience and interact with.

Reflecting feedback from users and the broader community on the type of programming that people would like to see at the Centre, CPAC has sought experiences that cover a broad range of skills from floristry to clay making, silversmithing, jewelry making, digital media and soon including photography, film, culinary workshops, and a variety of traditional art forms. This has been positively received from the community, with workshops regularly reaching capacity and interest increasing in this area.

Together with programming major events with experiential art experiences, (such as Winter Blast that generated a significant crowd of 16,000 over a single weekend) we can see the community responding to this new approach of tactile installations and experiential programming that create memorable moments which resonate more strongly with audiences who might not typically attend an art exhibition or program.

By offering hands-on workshops, interactive exhibitions, and immersive events, Casula Powerhouse fosters greater community involvement, making the arts more accessible and engaging for people of all ages and backgrounds. This approach aligns with the growing trend of experiential culture, where the focus is on creating meaningful, memorable experiences for visitors, enhancing both local and regional cultural engagement.

Rationale to rename to ‘Liverpool Powerhouse’

A branding change to Liverpool Powerhouse could significantly boost the centre’s visibility, deepen community engagement, and ensure closer alignment with Liverpool’s broader growth and strategic goals. As the cultural landscape of Liverpool evolves and expands, this rebranding would reinforce the venue’s role as a central hub for arts, culture, and creativity—not just for Casula, but for the entire region. By adopting the name ‘Liverpool Powerhouse’, the Centre would strengthen its connection to Liverpool’s primary brand creating a cohesive identity across the city’s cultural offerings.

Liverpool has achieved significant acclaim for experiential cultural programming through its major events and festivals. A name change incorporating ‘Liverpool’ would create consistency that allows easier integration with broader cultural initiatives across the Liverpool City Council portfolio, including its Experience the World campaign.

Leveraging Liverpool’s identity and profile could help the Centre too build its profile among its residents and people outside of the immediate area. It would dispel confusion around the ownership of the Centre, its association with Liverpool and its location.

As Liverpool continues to grow into a significant cultural hub for Western Sydney, the role of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre will become more pivotal in shaping Liverpool’s identity and its position as a key destination for tourism both locally and internationally as we see Western Sydney International Airport open in 2026. As we welcome overseas visitors, the Centre becomes an important tourism commodity.

From a marketing perspective, Liverpool Powerhouse is easier to market and communicate, especially when promoting events and exhibitions to a visitor audience.

Furthermore, Liverpool Powerhouse would serve as a more inclusive name for the entire Liverpool Local Government Area. While Casula is an integral part of Liverpool’s fabric, the name doesn’t fully capture the diversity and vibrancy of the city as a whole. Renaming the venue to Liverpool Powerhouse would symbolise that the centre is a space for all residents and communities within Liverpool, fostering a sense of belonging and ownership across the region.

Consultation

Council have initiated consultation with key stakeholders, including the Liverpool Art Society, the Liverpool Performing Arts Ensemble, and Councils tourism committee whose representatives have provided valuable insights and expressed positive feedback regarding the proposed rebranding. These organisations, which play a vital role in Liverpool’s cultural landscape and share a history with the Centre, see the potential benefits of aligning the Centre’s identity more closely with the broader Liverpool brand.

Their feedback recognises that a stronger association with the Liverpool name could create more opportunities for collaboration across the city’s cultural institutions, encouraging a greater sense of community and shared purpose among local creatives.

As advocates for the tourism and cultural initiatives within the region, these stakeholders see the rebranding as an opportunity to elevate the profile of Liverpool’s cultural sector, drawing more attention to the rich diversity and talent that exists within the community.

The rebranding to Liverpool Powerhouse has the potential to significantly enhance tourism outcomes by positioning the venue as a key cultural destination within Western Sydney. By aligning with the widely recognised Liverpool name, the venue becomes more accessible and attractive to both domestic and international visitors who may already associate Liverpool with its rich history and vibrancy.

Conclusion

A branding change to Liverpool Powerhouse could significantly enhance the venue’s visibility, foster deeper community engagement, and better align the centre with Liverpool’s ongoing growth and strategic objectives. By adopting the broader and more recognisable name of Liverpool, the venue would position itself as a central cultural hub for the entire region, reinforcing its relevance not only to local residents but also to visitors from across Greater Sydney and beyond.

As Liverpool continues to experience rapid population growth, increased investment, and expanding infrastructure, Liverpool Powerhouse would symbolise the city’s transformation into a thriving cultural and creative hub. This new identity would reflect the region’s ambitions, showcasing its rich cultural diversity, artistic talent, and community spirit on a larger scale.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Cost to Council will be approximately $37,000 which include the purchase of new tourist wayfinding signage to replace the existing 4 signs in the vicinity, new building fixtures and re-printing building vinyl. This will be taken from operational savings.

The new logo design and look & feel has been delivered in-house

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	Cost to Council will be approximately $37,000 which include the purchase of new tourist wayfinding signage to replace the existing 4 signs in the vicinity, new building fixtures and re-printing building vinyl. This will be taken from operational savings.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	Raise awareness in the community about the available services and facilities. Provide cultural centres and activities for the enjoyment of the arts.
Civic Leadership	Foster neighbourhood pride and a sense of responsibility. Deliver services that are customer focused.
Legislative	There are no legislative considerations relating to this report.
Risk	The risk is deemed to be Low.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Community & Lifestyle Report

COM 05

Amendments and Additions to Cultural Venues & Events Fees and Charges

Strategic Objective	Evolving, Prosperous, Innovative Market Liverpool as a business destination and attract investment
File Ref	366903.2024
Report By	Clara McGuirk - Manager Cultural Venues and Events
Approved By	Tina Bono - Director Community & Lifestyle

Executive Summary

Liverpool City Council’s major events are highly attended with 700,000 visitors across FY23/24 and provide significant opportunities for vendors and reports of strong vendor returns. Fees were initially set low to encourage diverse participation and incentivise vendors to invest in these new ventures.

Council’s events have successfully attracted both local vendors and prominent businesses from across Sydney and have gained considerable traction amongst the community. This strategy has enhanced Council’s profile and reputation for delivering engaging and successful events, establishing Liverpool as a destination for vendors and visitors alike.

Given the program’s growing reputation, and recognition in the form of recent awards obtained from Multicultural NSW and Western Sydney Tourism Taskforce, there is now an opportunity to marginally increase stallholder fees to better reflect the product Council is delivering and align it with neighbouring Councils. This would aid in recovering production costs, improving cost efficiencies and supporting the sustainability of the events program in the face of rising expenses.

Stallholder fees are proposed to reflect events of significant visitation that are highly competitive and have demonstrated competitive returns for its vendors. This may include a nominal increase of between 7-15% for some festival weekends where visitation may not be comparable to our hallmark events like Most Blessed Nights and New Years Eve, where a more substantial increase effectively doubling stallholder fees given their high foot traffic and record crowds can be qualified.

Based on the 2024 stallholder quota for Most Blessed Nights, this would yield a 91% increase in stallholder revenue. Most Blessed Nights FY2023/4 revenue was $101, 836 (ex GST), with a predicted return for FY2025/6 at $194,900 ex GST. This takes into consideration local business discounts, a potential cancellation weekend and a 4-week delivery model.

Additionally, an increase in enquiries for corporate functions, private events and filming across the Cultural Venues & Events portfolio has yielded an opportunity to offer spaces previously not included in our venue hire portfolio. Gallery spaces in Casula Powerhouse, which provide a unique backdrop for functions, will now be added to Council’s fees & charges to meet growing demand.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Adopt the proposed revised fees and charges within Cultural Venue and Events and places on public exhibition for 28 days period for public comment; and

2. Receives a further report at the February 2025 Council meeting to review public submissions and any associated changes.

REPORT

Background

Liverpool City Councils Major Events program has achieved considerable success, with the Experience the World series of multicultural festivals, newly implemented suburban fun-days and our newly reformatted milestone celebrations New Years Eve and Australia Day. These combined have attracted more than 1.4 million visitors since their inception. Council’s events are broadly well attended and provide a significant opportunity for local businesses to participate. The events have been growing in popularity and have yielded sizable return for vendors involved.

At the inception of the Experience the World series, stallholder fees were intentionally kept minimal to encourage participation and attract a diverse range of vendors from across Sydney. This included not only local businesses but also prominent vendors from outside the immediate area. The lower fees acted as an incentive, helping to build the event’s profile and establish it as a key destination for both visitors and vendors. By fostering early investment from well-known vendors, the series gained credibility, attracting a broader audience and laying the foundation for its ongoing success and growth.

With this recent success and growing reputation of Council events and consistent high attendance figures, there is an opportunity to marginally increase revenue streams to recoup production costs, enhance cost efficiencies and improve both the stallholder and event-goer experience.

Separately to major event revenue, there has been increased interest in the short-term hire of several spaces across the Casula Powerhouse venue that do not have fees and charges assigned to facilitate these hires. Adding spaces such as the restaurant, galleries and meeting rooms to our fees & charges would provide more opportunities for revenue and a means of testing the market to establish demand.

Experience the World model comparison

Whilst we aim to enhance the cost-recovery of Council’s events through the re-evaluation of fees & charges, perusing corporate sponsorship, as well as identifying and applying for grants, community events will always require a significant investment to facilitate the broader sociological, economical and cultural benefits they provide.

‘Experience the World’ in its current model, provides 40 nights of activations across the year and present a unique and impactful approach to community engagement whilst strengthening our identity as a culturally inclusive city.

In Financial Year 23/24, Council invested $1.6 million in operational funds to deliver the 9 Experience the World events which attracted approximately 600,000 people during this period. Comparatively, other Councils have invested similar funds on one signature multi-day or single-day event with comparatively similar per-head costs for delivering these events.

Event	Council	Days (in 20233/4)	Cost (FY23/24)	Visitation	Per head estimate
Experience the World	Liverpool City Council	40 approx.	$1.6 mil	600,000	$2.60pp
Moon Festival	Fairfield City	1 day (11am – 8pm)	Estimated between $500-800k (unable to disclose)	80,000	Between $6-10 pp
Lakemba Nights	Canterbury Bankstown Council	31 nights	Estimated $3 mil (Daily Telegraph report, CCC unable to disclose)	1,000,000	$3.00pp
Parramatta Lanes	Parramatta Council	4 nights	$1.2 mil	180,000	$6.60pp

Based on analysis undertaken by Council and using the Economy ID estimation tool, the Experience the World events in their current format have resulted in a $25 million impact to the regional economy.

Proposal for Major Events

Whilst the increases proposed are relative to our footprint and models, stallholder return for our events (in particular Most Blessed Nights) has been substantial and certainly warrants increasing fees to manage demand and offset production costs.

A nominal increase of up to 15% will be applied to food truck and food marquee vendors across Councils’ festival weekends, as these events vary in attendance and attract specialised cuisines to align with the cultural focus.

For Most Blessed Nights, a premium and high-demand event, fees will effectively double due to its high foot traffic and record crowds. With attendance often exceeding 50,000 people per weekend, Most Blessed Nights is a highly competitive event that has delivered a significant return for participating vendors.

Similarly, New Years Eve at Warwick Farm Racecourse has proven to be a lucrative and successful event with more than 20,000 patrons attending the 2023 celebration and staying onsite for several hours ahead of the events fireworks display. As a once-off event attracting large crowds, fees for food trucks will double reflecting the high return nature of this event, competitive market and prominent date.

Minor charges will be applied for market vendors across all our event models due to their comparatively low return.

Overall stallholders return currently sits at $266,962.65, potentially increasing to $434,508 if fees & charges changes are implemented based on our current calendar of events, models and matching the 2023 quota of stalls.

This proposal includes categorising events based on their expected footprint.

Effectively;

CATEGORY A – MAJOR EVENT – events over 5,000 pax

CATEGORY B – MEDIUM SCALE EVENT – events 2,000 – 5,000 pax

CATEGORY C – SMALL SCALE EVENT – events 0 – 2,000 pax

CATERGORY A – MAJOR EVENT – events over 5000 (Daily Rate)
	2024/2025 (excl.GST)	024/2025 (incl. GST)	Proposed New Fee PER DAY (exl.GST)	Proposed New Fee PER DAY (incl.GST)
Food Truck/Trailer or 15ampQue\	$253.33 (per day)	$278.66 (per day)	$409.09	$450
Food Vendor - 3m x 3m Space - Stall/Marquee Queuing System	$158.33 (per day)	$174.16 (per day)	$272.72	$300
Market Stall - 3m x 3m Space - Stall/Marquee	$95	$104.50	$163.63	$180
Additional Power Line (10 amp or 15amp)		$38.00	$90.90	$100
Three Phase or Single Phase Power		$57.00	$181.81	$200
Cleaning Fee Marquee Overheads Site Floor				$75

CATEGORY B – MEDIUM SCALE EVENT – events 2000-5000 (Daily Rate)
	2024/2025 (excl.GST)	2024/2025 (incl. GST)	Proposed New Fee 2024/2025 (exl.GST)	Proposed New Fee 2024/2025 (incl.GST)
Food Truck/Trailer 3m x 6m floor space	N/A	N/A	$318.18	$350
Food Vendor - 3m x 3m Space - Stall/Marquee	N/A	N/A	$272.72	$300
Market Stall - 3m x 3m Space - Stall/Marquee	N/A	N/A	$163.63	$180

CATEGORY C – SMALL EVENT OR POP-UP ACTIVATION - 0-2000 (Daily Rate)
	2024/2025 (excl.GST)	2024/2025 (incl. GST)	2024/2025 (exl.GST)	2024/2025 (incl.GST)
Food Truck/Trailer (Small Pop-Up Activation) 3m x 6m floor space	$76.00	$83.60	$90.91	$100.00
Market Stall - 3m x 3m Space (Small Pop-up Activation) 3m x 3m floor space	$47.50	$52.25	$68.18	$75.00

Proposal for Additional Hire Spaces

In response to increased corporate and private hire enquiries, a review of rates has been undertaken to include previously uncosted spaces that can be capitalised for various function types, including the foyer of Civic Tower, Civic Place forecourt and galleries within Casula Powerhouse.

Venue hire charges for our galleries and other spaces have been calculated per square meter basis benchmarked against Casula Powerhouse’s Performance Space, a comparable space for hire. Additions include the Marsden Gallery, Switch Gallery, Bellbird Restaurant, Bellbird Awning, Hopper Gallery and Level 3 Office Space.

Hirable gallery spaces also address a gap in the local market, where few options exist for artist to hire professional exhibition spaces. By offering these venues, Casula Powerhouse provides an amenity for local artists to showcase their work whilst potentially offsetting exhibition programming costs. Ultimately the intent is to introduce them to the market and encourage utility whilst gauging user feedback.

Additional Venue Hire Fees (incl. GST)

Commercial

Weekend Rate p/h

Commercial

Weekday rate p/h

Community Weekend Rate p/h

Civic Tower – Lobby & Mezzanine Area

Range between $500 - $5000 subject to disruption to day-to-day functions, nature of the hirer (commercial, community, charitable) and the scale of the event.

Civic Place Forecourt

Range between $500 - $5000 subject to disruption to day-to-day functions, nature of the hirer (commercial, community, charitable) and the scale of the event.

Switch Gallery (270m2)

$152p/h

$95p/h

$114p/h

$65p/h

Hopper Gallery (173m2)

$114p/h

$61p/h

$97p/h

$42p/h

Bellbird within Turbine Hall (208m2) (with minimum restaurant spend

$117p/h

$73p/h

$88p/h

$50p/h

Bellbird Awning (68m2) with minimum restaurant spend

$38p/h

$24p/h

$29p/h

$17p/h

Marsden Gallery (76m2)

$43p/h

$27p/h

$32p/h

$19p/h

Level 3 Meeting Room (58m2)

$33p/h

$25p/h

$14p/h

Conclusion

Liverpool City Councils major events have demonstrated considerable success, attracting 700,000 visitors in FY23/24 and providing vendors with competitive returns. However, with the event’s growing reputation and recognition through recent awards, the time is right to adjust stallholder fees to reflect the increasing value of these events. Whilst this is important to help offset rising production costs, fee increases need to be relevant to the events delivery model and remain attractive for stallholder investment. The frequency of our events, and our primary venue, informs an appropriate increase is considered which still ensures we are being fair to our vendors, and reflecting the event’s success.

Additionally, expanding the venue portfolio to include gallery spaces at Casula Powerhouse responds to a rising demand for corporate and private events, further enhancing Council’s revenue potential.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications relating to this recommendation.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	Facilitate economic development. Facilitate the development of new tourism based on local attractions, culture and creative industries.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	Provide cultural centres and activities for the enjoyment of the arts.
Civic Leadership	There are no civic leadership and governance considerations.
Legislative	There are no legislative considerations relating to this report.
Risk	There is no risk associated with this report.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Community & Lifestyle Report

COM 06

Changes to the Community Facility and Sportsground Hire Policies

Strategic Objective	Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging Improve liveability and quality of life for the community by delivering vibrant parks, places and facilities
File Ref	364857.2024
Report By	Craig Lambeth - Manager Community Recreation
Approved By	Tina Bono - Director Community & Lifestyle

Executive Summary

Council avails its Community Facilities and Sporting Venues to local organisations, clubs, schools, residents and other entities on a hire basis. These facilities accommodate important activities that support marginalised and targeted community groups, support small, locally based commercial entities and attract significant locally significant external events. Collectively Councils sporting fields and community facilities are estimated to attract almost one million annual attendances.

The Local Government Act 1993 defines the basis by which Council may enter leases, licences and hire agreement on community land. Council’s Community Facilities Generic Plan of Management is intended to ensure that Council is compliant with its obligations under the Act. However, the Community Facilities Generic Plan of Management was last reviewed in 2005 and subsequently has lost pace with the development of both existing and new community facilities.

To improve the experience of hirers and to meet its obligations Council is required to undertake a multi-tiered approach to improve the governance framework of its community facilities:

Phase 1 - Update and Streamline its Policy Framework;

Phase 2 - Review of Fees and Charges; and

Phase 3 - Update its Community Facilities Generic Plan of Management.

Currently, access to Community Halls and Sporting Fields is defined by a range of documents that includes Policies, Terms and Conditions and Licences.

This Report seeks to streamline these documents to allow for a more effective, efficient and user-friendly Policy Framework. This is to be achieved through:

· The establishment of a high-level over-arching Policy for Hire of Community Facilities;

· The establishment of a high-level over-arching Policy for Hire of Sport and Recreation facilities; and

· The consolidation of all Terms and Condition to form part of the Booking process.

The current and proposed Polices are attached to this Report.

Council has sort feedback from our Sporting and Community Hall hirers through community engagement sessions and has incorporated their feedback into the proposed policy documents.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Receives and notes this Report;

2. Adopts the recommended Hire policies attached to this Report that includes:

-Community Facilities Hire Policy; and

-Hire of Playing Surface Policy – Sporting Fields and Recreation Spaces;

To replace current Policies including:

- Hire of Playing Surface Policy (2015)

- Commercial Businesses Short-term Hire Procedures (Terms and Conditions)

- Community Facilities Management Casual Hire (Terms and Conditions)

- Community Venues Permanent Hire Procedures (Terms and Conditions)

- Community Facilities 3 year Licence Agreement

- Change/Cancellation of Permanent Facility Hiring

3. Supports the inclusion of Conditions of Hire to be contained within the Hire Agreement for Community Facilities and Sport and Recreation spaces attached to this Report;

4. Delegates to the CEO, the development of Conditions of Hire for Community Facilities and Sport and Recreation Spaces; and

5. Proceed to 28 days public exhibition.

REPORT

Background

The provision of Council’s community venues, parks and sporting grounds to the community is a pivotal in connecting the community to programs, services and activities that promote physical, mental and social wellbeing.

Council currently has approximately 35 community facilities and 50 sporting venues available to the community with more than 120 individually bookable spaces. These attract almost one million annual visitations, through more than 100 service providers, and support the needs of some of Councils most marginalised groups.

In its current form, the Council relies on several instruments to provide the governance framework for the hire and management of venue bookings. In the case of its Community Facilities, these include:

· Commercial Businesses Short-term Hire Procedures (Terms and Conditions)

· Community Facilities Management Casual Hire (Terms and Conditions)

· Community Venues Permanent Hire Procedures (Terms and Conditions)

· Community Facilities Licence Agreement

· Community Venues Casual Hire Procedures (Terms and Conditions)

· Change/Cancellation of Casual Facility Hiring Booking Date

· Change/Cancellation of Permanent Facility Hiring

Each of these documents is intended to define the Terms and Conditions of Hire and consider varying occupancy agreements between the Council and the Hirer.

Hire Procedures

Council has separate processes for the hire of Community Facilities and Sporting Fields.

In the case of Community Facilities, Council enters one of three (3) agreements:

· 3-year Licence Agreement offering exclusive access to defined areas within a community facility;

· A Permanent hire Agreement offering non-exclusive access to a shared space for up to 2 years; and/or

· A Casual Hire Agreement offering one off access.

Council seeks Expressions of Interest (EOI) from community groups, organisations and individuals every three (3) years for exclusive (licensed) use of its community facilities for a 3 three (3) year period, and every two (2) years for shared spaces hired on a perpetual or regular pattern of use.

Expressions of Interests are considered by Council staff based on a range of criteria that includes:

· The legal status of an organisation

· The nature of the services offered to the community

· The number of residents within the LGA that are serviced by the organisation

· The location of the organisation’s operations

· The financial capacity of the organisation

In general terms, organisations delivering services to targeted or marginalised community groups are afforded priority of access.

For Sporting fields, Council enters one of three (3) agreements:

· A Casual Hire Agreement for one-off bookings;

· A Seasonal Hire Agreement for shared use facilities; and/or

· A Licence Agreement for up to 5 years for exclusive facility use.

Council receives application for sporting ground use every six (6) months for the following seasonal period.

The feedback from community groups is that the current process is cumbersome in nature.

Permissibility

Council’s Community Facilities Generic Plan of Management 2005 (PoM) and Generic Sportsground Plan of Management are the guiding documents that are intended to demonstrate that Council satisfy the obligations contained in the Local Government Act 1993. The PoMs provides a framework for the long-term management of Sporting facilities and Community Facilities erected on land classified as ‘community’ land and ‘crown’ reserves in Liverpool City Council. The Generic Plans of Management contains most of the Council’s Community Facilities noting that in some cases, individual PoMs for specific sites have been developed.

The Local Government Act 1993 restricts leases or licenses over community land. Leases or licenses for a period of five (5) years or more have limitations imposed on them with the maximum period that leases or licenses can be granted for is 21 years.

Importantly, PoMs permit Council to enter a licence, lease or other such instrument consistent with the specifications contained within the Local Government Act 1993.

In general terms, and for the purpose of this report, the Plans of Management, while acknowledging the need to update, meet the required statutory obligations. A further Report specifically related to Plans of Management will be provided to Council for consideration.

Summary of Policy Changes

The current policy framework and associated implementation processes required to hire a community facility on a perpetual basis is both cumbersome and complex in nature for its intended purpose.

To improve the effective implementation of the governance framework the following changes are recommended:

1. Establishment of a Community Facility Hire Policy

There is no Policy that currently defines the intended purpose of Council’s Community Facilities. The establishment of a Community Facilities Hire Policy will define the strategic objectives of the venues and allow an effective framework for implementation and assist in the decision-making process.

The cluster of documents that form Council’s Conditions of Hire (listed above) have been streamlined and incorporated into the Community Facilities Hire Policy.

A copy of the proposed policy is to be tabled.

At a high level the proposed changes include:

- Establishment of up to 5-year hire agreements for community groups delivering community facing programs and services, and allowing their capacity to future plan their services; and

- Establishment of a Priority of Use framework that supports local and not-for-profit entities where conflicting applications are received.

2. Establishment of Sporting Grounds and Passive Parks Hire Policy

The current Hire of Playing Surface Policy acts to define the governance and operational requirement. To ensure consistency with the Community Facilities Hire Policy, the establishment of a Sporting Grounds and Passive Park Hire Policy will define the strategic objectives of Council’s Sportsgrounds and Passive Parks and assist in decision making.

A copy of the proposed Policy is tabled.

Changes to the Hire of Playing surfaces Policy include:

- Defining priority of use for sportsfield during finals and pre-season periods

Stakeholder Consultation

A copy of the proposed changes to the policies has been sent to all current hirers of sports fields and community facilities seeking feedback via email. Invitations to attend online community forums or provide feedback via an online forum were sent to more than 200 current or previous hirers.

On-line forums were conducted via TEAMS on Tuesday 22 October 2024 (sports field users) and Tuesday 29 October 2024 (community facility users). There were twelve (12) and eighteen (18) attendees to these sessions respectively.

In General Terms Council received no significant feedback to the Policy changes. Noting that feedback regarding determination of sports clubs being defined as a not-for-profit entity was provided was tabled and this feedback has been incorporated into the draft Policies attached to this report.

Council also notes the general level of support from attendees at the consultation forums for the proposed changes.

Feedback with regard to simplifying fees and charges, booking processes and improved service delivery time frames were also noted, although not specifically related to the Policy changes proposed.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications relating to this recommendation.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	There are no economic and financial considerations.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	Raise awareness in the community about the available services and facilities. Provide cultural centres and activities for the enjoyment of the arts. Support community organisations, groups and volunteers to deliver coordinated services to the community.
Civic Leadership	Deliver services that are customer focused.
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993 (Division 2 – Part 2 – Section 35) and (Division 12 – Part 1 – Section 356) Local Government (General) Regulations 2021 (Division 5 – Part 2 – Section 49) Generic Plan of Management: Community Facilities, 2005 Crown Land Management Act 2006
Risk	The risk is deemed to be Low.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Draft Community Facilities Hire Policy 2024 (Under separate cover)

2. Draft Hire of Playing Surface Policy 2024 (Under separate cover)

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Corporate Support Report

CORP 01

Tabling Annual Pecuniary Interest Returns for Councillors and Designated Persons

Strategic Objective	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Demonstrate a high standard of transparency and accountability through a comprehensive governance framework
File Ref	282646.2024
Report By	David Day - Head of Governance
Approved By	Farooq Portelli - Director Corporate Support

Executive Summary

Council’s Code of Conduct requires that completed annual pecuniary interest returns are tabled before the Council.

Councillors and designated officers were asked to complete their pecuniary interest return by 30 September 2024.

At the time of preparing this report, one (1) former staff member who was employed under contract until the 17 October 2024 and four (4) non returning Councillors have not submitted their annual pecuniary returns.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. note the tabled annual pecuniary interest returns of Councillors and designated persons; and

2. agree to make redacted copies of the annual pecuniary interest returns available to the public, as set out in the report.

REPORT

Clause 4.21 of Council’s Code of Conduct provides that a Councillor or a designated person must complete and lodge with the Chief Executive Officer an annual pecuniary interest return within three months after:

(a) becoming a councillor or designated person,

(b) 30 June of each year, and

This reflects the provisions of the model code of conduct, as required by section 440(3) of the Local Government Act 1993.

The Code of Conduct details the requirements for the registration and tabling of returns lodged by Councillors and designated persons as follows:

4.24 The general manager must keep a register of returns required to be made and lodged with the general manager.

4.25 Returns required to be lodged with the general manager under clause 4.21(a) and (b) must be tabled at the first meeting of the council after the last day the return is required to be lodged.

The requirements to keep a register of returns and table them before Council reflect the provisions of section 440AB of the Local Government Act 1993.

Council’s governance team keeps the register of returns. At the time of publishing this report, one (1) former staff member who was employed under contract until the 17 October 2024 and four (4) non returning Councillors had failed to submit their annual returns. These non-compliances have been reported to Council’s acting CEO and reference to the non-compliances will be included in Council’s annual reporting to the Office of Local Government.

Given that the staff member is no longer contracted to Council, action cannot be initiated under the Award. The OLG has jurisdiction over managing the review of alleged breaches by councillors.

Requirement to publish

The mandatory proactive release provisions of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) and the Government Information (Public Access) Regulation 2018 (GIPA Regulation) apply to the disclosure of information contained in returns disclosing the interests of Councillors and designated persons. The combined effect of the GIPA Act and the GIPA Regulation is that the information in the returns needs to be disclosed on Council’s website unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure.

Overriding public interest

There is an overriding public interest against disclosure under the GIPA Act if there are public interest considerations against disclosure and, on balance, those considerations outweigh the public interest considerations in favour of disclosure.

There are public interest considerations in favour of disclosing the annual returns, reflected in the mandatory proactive release provisions of the GIPA Act. Disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to enhance government accountability. This is a strong consideration in favour of disclosure as the information requested has the potential to promote transparency for those interested in Council’s decision making.

When applying the public interest test, Council is entitled to consider public interest considerations against disclosure set out in the table to section 14 of the GIPA Act. There are considerations against disclosure of the annual declarations if Council considers disclosure could reasonably be expected to:

· reveal an individual’s personal information; or

· contravene an information protection principle under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

Personal information is defined in the GIPA Act to include information about an individual whose identity is apparent or can reasonably be ascertained from the information. The annual declarations contain personal information about the individuals who provided the declarations. This includes information about properties owned by the individuals and where they may reside. When providing the declarations, the Mayor, Councillors and designated staff have requested that their personal information be redacted.

After balancing the public considerations for and against publication of the annual disclosures, it is considered that there is an overriding public interest against disclosure of personal information such as home addresses and signatures. This is on the basis that protecting the privacy of individuals, particularly due to considerations of safety and preventing identity theft, should be given priority over the public interest in transparency and public participation in Council decision making. It is also important that individuals remain confident in the Council’s ability to protect personal and private information when making declarations and assisting the Council.

Impact of overriding public interest on mandatory proactive release of information

If a record contains open access information and includes information that gives rise to an overriding public interest against disclosure, and it is practicable to delete the information, then Council must facilitate public access to the open access information by deleting the information that would otherwise result in non-disclosure.

It is proposed that Council publish the annual pecuniary interest returns after redacting personal information such as home addresses and signatures. The redactions will remove the overriding public interest against disclosure.

Releasing the information contained in the returns of Councillors and designated persons in this manner facilitates the legitimate public interest in having access to the information, while protecting each individual’s right to privacy and safety.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications relating to this recommendation.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	There are no economic and financial considerations.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	There are no social and cultural considerations.
Civic Leadership	Operate a well-developed governance system that demonstrates accountability, transparency and ethical conduct.
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993 Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 Government Information (Public Access) Regulation 2018 Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in NSW, 2020 Liverpool City Council Code of Conduct Relevant provisions are referred to in the body of the report.
Risk	There is no risk associated with this report.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Corporate Support Report

CORP 02

Complaints and Compliments Management Policy

Strategic Objective	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Demonstrate a high standard of transparency and accountability through a comprehensive governance framework
File Ref	216408.2024
Report By	David Day - Head of Governance
Approved By	Farooq Portelli - Director Corporate Support

Executive Summary

The report outlines how Council will respond to complaints and compliments through a dedicated Policy. Permission is sought to publicly exhibit the Draft Complaints and Compliments Management Policy.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Endorse the Draft Complaints and Compliments Management Policy to be placed on public exhibition for a period of not less than 28 days.

2. Agree that Council’s Chief Executive Officer or delegate may finalise the Draft Complaints and Compliments Management Policy if no representations are received during public exhibition and to make non-significant amendments to the policies.

3. Require a further report to Council in relation to any representations received during public exhibition of the Draft Complaints and Compliments Management Policy

REPORT

Council’s current Customer Service and Communication Policy was last adopted in May 2014. Following a review of the policy, it is proposed to replace the policy with the following separate and distinct policies:

· Customer Experience Policy; and

· Complaints and Compliments Management Policy.

This report deals with the Complaints and Compliments Management Policy. A separate report on the same agenda addresses the Customer Experience Policy.

The draft Complaints and Compliments Management Policy updates Council’s approach to dealing with complaints and compliments. It is based on the NSW Ombudsman guidelines for complaint handling. Key features of the revised policy are:

1. The policy sets clear expectations for how complaints and compliments will be handled. The principles expressed in the policy include:

(a) recognising the inherent dignity of all involved and treating people with courtesy and respect,

(b) responding reasonably to complaints and properly addressing and resolving and problems,

(d) reporting information to promote greater transparency and accountability.

2. The policy defines key terms and identifies that a complaint may concern:

(a) the outcome of a decision,

(b) any delay in a Council’s decision/action,

(d) the failure to adhere to a policy or procedure, and

(e) the behaviour of an employee, Committee member, or agent of Council.

3. The policy proposes recording compliments and complaints in Council’s Customer Request Management System.

4. The policy sets a process for dealing with complaints. The process reflects the following steps which are in line with the NSW Ombudsman guidelines.

5. The policy outlines a proportionate approach to responding to complaints, whereby Council first endeavours to resolve matters at the service delivery level. It provides for appropriate internal escalation if that does not work, initially to the relevant Director and then to the CEO.

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6. The policy provides guidance to all involved in the process as to what is expected of them. It recognises that customers can sometimes be unreasonable in their demands of Council and in their conduct with Council staff. The policy identifies options available to Council where customer conduct is considered unreasonable, which includes restricting customer access and services in the most extreme situations.

7. The policy proposes six-monthly reporting to Council’s Audit Risk and Improvement Committee.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There will be an annual staff cost of implementing the amended policy and assessing and responding to complaints from the community. This cost is expected to be met from Council’s budget for the current year and long-term financial plan.

It is estimated that the governance staff time involved in stage 3 complaints and reporting will cost around $22,000 per annum. Better reporting should assist with quantifying the staff costs of dealing with complaints.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	There are no economic and financial considerations.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	There are no social and cultural considerations.
Civic Leadership	Provide information about Council’s services, roles and decision making processes. Deliver services that are customer focused. Operate a well-developed governance system that demonstrates accountability, transparency and ethical conduct.
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993 Section 23 of the Local Government Act 1993 provides that Council may do all such things as are supplemental or incidental to, or consequential on, the exercise of its functions. It is within this power for Council to develop and implement a complaints and compliments management policy.
Risk	The risk is deemed to be Low and having a clear policy on Complaints and Compliments Management demonstrates that Council has good governance policies in place.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Draft Complaints and Compliments Management Policy

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Corporate Support Report

CORP 03

Investment Report October 2024

Strategic Objective	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Ensure Council is accountable and financially sustainable through the strategic management of assets and resources
File Ref	350800.2024
Report By	Vishwa Nadan - Chief Financial Officer
Approved By	Farooq Portelli - Director Corporate Support

Executive Summary

This report details Council’s investment portfolio and its performance at 31 October 2024. Key highlights include:

· Council held investments with a market value of $373 million.

· The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)’s official cash rate remains at 4.35 per cent.

· The portfolio yield (for the year to October 2024) was 3 basis points below the benchmark (AusBond Bank Bill Index)

	AusBond Bank Bill Index (ABBI)
Benchmark	4.45%
Portfolio yield	4.42%
Performance below benchmark	-0.03%

· The current ABBI benchmark reflects RBA aggressive action to lift the cash rate. The portfolio performance, as expected, is below ABBI benchmark and this trend will continue until such time low-yielding investments mature.

· Year-to-date, Council’s investment income was $1.62 million higher than the original budget. This is due to a combination of increase in market interest rates and unrealised gain in fair value of Floating Rate Notes (FRNs).

· Year-to-date, Council’s investment in mortgage-backed securities (MBSs) is valued at $364 thousand below face value. Council’s investment advisor continues to review Council’s investment in MBSs and recommends Council continue to hold its investments in the Class A and both Class C securities. There is significant uncertainty associated with these investments, however presently Council’s investment advisor believes there is, on balance, more upside opportunity than downside risk. This is subject to ongoing regular review. MBSs are no longer rated.

· Council’s investments and reporting obligations fully complied with the requirements of section 625 of the Local Government Act 1993 and section 212 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021.

· Council’s portfolio also fully complied with limits set out in its current Investment Policy, noting the exception applicable to MBSs (as investment in them pre-dates the current Investment Policy).

· Council is committed to NSW TCorp’s balanced investment framework and held 10.26 per cent of its portfolio in ADIs rated BBB and below.

RECOMMENDATION

That the Council receives and notes this report.

REPORT

Section 212 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 requires that the Responsible Accounting Officer must provide Council with a written report setting out details of all money that Council has invested under section 625 of the Local Government Act 1993.

Council’s portfolio

At 31 October 2024, Council held investments with a market value of $373 million. Council’s investment register detailing all its investments is provided as an attachment to this report. In summary, Council’s portfolio consisted of investments in:

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The ratio of market value compared to face value of various debt securities is shown in the table below.

*Definition of terms

· FRN - Floating Rate Note - returns an aggregate of a fixed margin and a variable benchmark (usually the Bank Bill Swap Rate).

· FRB - Fixed Rate Bond – returns a fixed coupon (interest) rate and is tradeable before maturity.

· TCD - Transferrable Certificate of Deposit - security issued with the same characteristics as a term deposit, however it can be sold back (transferred) into the market prior to maturity. A floating TCD pays a coupon linked to a variable benchmark (90-day Bank Bill Swap Rate).

Council continues to closely monitor the investments in its portfolio to ensure continued compliance and minimal exposure to risk.

Council is committed to NSW TCorp’s balanced investment framework and held 10.26 per cent of its portfolio in ADIs rated BBB and below.

Mortgaged-backed securities

Council’s investment advisor regularly reviews investments in grandfathered mortgage-backed securities (MBSs) and continues to recommend “hold” position on investments in Class A and both Class C securities.

There is significant uncertainty associated with these investments, however presently the investment advisors believe there is, on balance, more upside opportunity than downside risk. Notwithstanding this recommendation, Council’s investment advisor has assessed that both Class C securities are likely to eventually default. However, Council will continue to receive interest up until default which is likely to be many years in the future. Fitch Rating Agency has decided to withdraw its rating on MBSs and as a result, Council’s investments in these securities are now classed as non-rated. Year-to-date, Council’s investment in MBSs is valued at $364 thousand below face value.

Portfolio maturity profile

The table below shows the percentage of funds invested at different durations to maturity.

Counterparty policy limit compliance

Credit rating policy limit compliance

Compliance with Investment policy – In summary

Legislative requirements	ü	Fully compliant, noting exception applicable to grandfathered mortgaged-backed investments.
Portfolio credit rating limit	ü	Fully compliant
Institutional exposure limits	ü	Fully compliant
Overall portfolio credit limits	ü	Fully compliant
Term to maturity limits	ü	Fully compliant

Portfolio performance against relevant market benchmark

Council’s Investment Policy prescribes the AusBond Bank Bill Index (ABBI) as a benchmark to measure return on cash and fixed interest securities. The ABBI represents the average daily yield of a parcel of bank bills. Historically there has been a positive correlation between changes in the cash rate and the resulting impact on the ABBI benchmark.

The current ABBI benchmark reflects RBA actions to aggressively lift the cash rate. The portfolio performance is expected to be below ABBI benchmark in coming months and this trend will continue until such time low-yielding investments mature.

The portfolio yield for the year to October 2024 was below the ABBI index by 3 basis points (portfolio yield: 4.42%; ABBI: 4.45%).

Comparative yields for the previous months are charted below:

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Performance of portfolio returns against budget

Year-to-date, Council’s investment income was $1.62m higher than the original budget. This is due to a combination of increase in market interest rate and unrealised gain in fair value of Floating Rate Notes (FRNs).

	YTD Budget	YTD Actuals	Budget Variance
Interest yield on cash holdings	$4.74m	$5.63m	$0.89m
Fair value market movement	$0.00m	$0.73m	$0.73m
Total	$4.74m	$6.36m	$1.62m

Economic outlook – Reserve Bank of Australia

The Reserve Bank of Australia has remained the official cash rate to 4.35 per cent in its meeting on 5 November 2024.

Certificate of Responsible Accounting Officer

The Chief Financial Officer, as Responsible Accounting Officer, certifies that the investments listed in the attached report have been made in accordance with section 625 of the Local Government Act 1993, section 212 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 and Council’s Investment Policy at the time of their placement. The previous investments are covered by the grandfathering clauses of the current investment guidelines issued by the Minister for Local Government.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	Council’s investment income was $1.62 million higher than the original budget at 31 October 2024.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	There are no social and cultural considerations.
Civic Leadership	There are no civic leadership and governance considerations.
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993, section 625 Local Government (General) Regulation 2021, section 212 As required by the Local Government Act, Council is fully compliant with the ministerial requirements specified in the Local Government Act 1993 – Investment Order (relating to investments by councils) and with reporting requirements under section 212 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021.
Risk	The capital value and return-on-investment is subject to market risks. Investment limits prescribed in Council’s policy framework is aimed to mitigate these risks.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Investment Portfolio October 2024

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Corporate Support Report

CORP 05

Public Inquiry

Strategic Objective	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Demonstrate a high standard of transparency and accountability through a comprehensive governance framework
File Ref	366964.2024
Report By	David Galpin - General Counsel, Manager Governance Legal and Procurement
Approved By	Farooq Portelli - Director Corporate Support

Executive Summary

The report provides an update in relation to the public inquiry into Liverpool City Council under section 438U of the Local Government Act 1993.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council note the contents of the report.

REPORT

On 18 July 2024, the Hon. Ron Hoenig MP, Minister for Local Government, advised that a public inquiry would be held under section 438U of the Local Government Act 1993 into the functionality of Council. The Minister appointed Ross Glover of counsel as Commissioner to conduct the public inquiry.

The Office of Local Government is maintaining a webpage where information about the public inquiry is published: https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/public-inquiries/liverpool-city-council-public-inquiry/.

As information is published about the public inquiry, the Council is sending updates to all staff and councillors. This included issuing an FAQ document for the assistance of councillors and staff. Council is also making information available on its Intranet, where a public inquiry link has been installed on the main page.

The Terms of Reference of the public inquiry have been published on the OLG website. The terms of reference are:

1. In exercising its functions under section 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the Act, the governing body is meeting its obligations to provide strong and effective leadership in a manner consistent with the guiding principles set out in section 8A, 8B, and 8C of the Act, including whether its leadership with respect to Council’s management of its responsibilities relating to long term financial planning, public land management and provision of services is appropriate;

2. In exercising its functions under section 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the Act, Council is meeting its obligations to act as a responsible employer, providing a safe, consultative and supportive working environment for the general manager and other staff in a manner consistent with the guiding principles set out in section 8A(1)(i) of the Act and any other statutory requirements considered relevant;

3. In exercising its functions under section 21, 22, 23 and 24, and Part 2, Divisions 2 and 3 of Chapter 9 of the Act, the governing body’s Mayor and councillors’ conduct and decision-making both collectively and/or individually demonstrates an understanding of their role under sections 226 and 232 of the Act;

4. In exercising its functions under section 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the Act, the governing body acts in accordance with the guiding principles set out in section 8A of the Act, including whether the governing body commands the confident of the community; and

5. Any other matter that warrants mention, particularly those that may impact upon the effective administration of the Council’s functions and responsibilities or the community’s confidence in the Council being able to do so.

On about 24 October 2024, the Commissioner called for public submissions. Submissions are required to be made in writing by 16 December 2024. The OLG website contains the following information about public submissions:

Submissions received by the Inquiry will not be automatically made public. The Commissioner may decide to release all or part of a submission publicly, including on the Inquiry’s webpage, considering factors such as the sensitivity of the information, the relevance of the submission to the Terms of Reference, and the public interest. The Commissioner may also provide an interested party with access to all or part of a submission to obtain their response to the matters contained in it.

Requests to keep submissions anonymous may be made. Any person making a submission that wishes the Commissioner to consider a request that their identifying details be suppressed or otherwise be protected from publication or disclosure must set out (either in correspondence accompanying the submission or in the body of the submission itself) that such a request is made and briefly identify the basis for it.

It is anticipated that the next stage of the public inquiry will include issuing notices to individuals to produce documents or attend to give evidence.

The Commissioner has not contacted Council regarding arrangements for the public inquiry.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Council has claimed on its insurance in relation to the costs of the public inquiry but the insurer has not yet confirmed cover. The insurer has, however, appointed Clyde & Co to represent Council in the inquiry and Council’s in-house team is working with that firm.

If cover is accepted, Council will still have to pay the first $50,000 of the costs, with Civic Risk Mutual meeting the remainder of the excess. At this stage, an estimate has not been prepared for the full cost of the inquiry.

Section 438V of the Local Government Act 1993 provides that the Departmental Chief Executive may recover the reasonable expenses incurred by the State in holding a public inquiry if the inquiry relates to a recurring problem with the administration of Council. A recurring problem with the administration of a council means:

· any facts or circumstances with respect to the council, its work or its activities that have been the subject of previous Ministerial intervention, and that have continued to exist or have recurred, despite that Ministerial intervention,

· where Ministerial intervention means (a) the issue of a performance improvement order, or (b) the temporary suspension of a council under Part 7.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	There are no broader economic and financial considerations.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	There are no social and cultural considerations.
Civic Leadership	Provide information about Council’s services, roles and decision making processes. Operate a well-developed governance system that demonstrates accountability, transparency and ethical conduct.
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993, particularly Chapter 13, Part 8 (public inquiries) Royal Commissions Act 1923, provisions identified in section 438U of the Local Government Act 1993 Local Court Act 2007, section 24
Risk	The risk is deemed to be Medium.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Customer Experience & Business Performance Report

CEBP 01

Customer Experience Policy

Strategic Objective	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Place customer satisfaction, innovation and best practice at the centre of all operations
File Ref	340448.2024
Report By	Anna Rizos - Manager Customer Experience
Approved By	Michelle Mcilvenny - Director Customer & Business Performance

Executive Summary

The report is seeking endorsement to publicly exhibit the Draft Customer Experience Policy. The new policy outlines Council’s commitment to providing its customers with seamless quality experiences by understanding and prioritising their needs, while engaging meaningfully and delivering service, operational and planning excellence

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Endorse the draft Customer Experience Policy to be placed on public exhibition for a period of not less than 28 days.

2. Agree that Council’s Chief Executive Officer or delegate may finalise the draft Customer Experience Policy if no representations are received during public exhibition and to make non-significant amendments to the Policy.

3. Require a further report to Council in relation to any representations received during public exhibition of the draft Customer Experience Policy

REPORT

The Business Performance function in the Customer Experience and Business Performance Directorate is in the process of formalising a Continuous Improvement Program (CIP) to increase Council’s performance through excellence in leadership, process management and digital transformation.

The CIP will be built under the guiding principles of the Australian Business Excellence Framework, with a focus on the principles of ;

· Customer at the centre

· People at the heart

· Doing more with the same (or less)

· Removing red tape

· Innovation in all areas

Council has a Customer Experience Framework which demonstrates how the work that Council does is guided by four pillars – Understanding customer needs, Prioritising what creates the most impact for customers, Engaging with customers meaningfully and Delivering seamless quality experiences. The pillars are Council’s guiding rails to support the delivery of service, operational and planning excellence. The framework also supports the delivery of the Community Strategic Plans, 10-year strategy to Place customer satisfaction, innovation and best practice at the centre of all operations. The communities Vision of, A vibrant global city of lifestyle and opportunity, and Council’s Vision of, Aspiring to do great things – for ourselves, our community and our growing city, continue to drive the direction and influence of the cultural change required to focus a focus to outing the Customer at the Centre, and our People at the heart for the greater good.

In addition to the framework, a transformation Program was developed, detailing actions to be completed to improve our customer’s experience. The activities completed to date from the Program include training staff in writing customer-focused documentation and benchmarking best practice. The framework and program have been developed inline the principles of the CIP.

The review of the current Customer Service and Communications Policy is another action in the Program that is being completed. To improve readability, be clearer in our commitment to our customers and to remove red tape a decision was made to replace the existing Policy with two separate policies and the operational detail be moved into an internal Standard, with the two new Policies being the;

· Customer Experience Policy; and

· Complaints and Compliments Management Policy (the subject of another Council Paper at this meeting).

The new Customer Experience Policy reflects the intent of the Customer Experience Framework, with a clear commitment to improving our focus on excellence in service, operational and planning activities. A track changes version of the changes to the original Policy has not been provided as there was a significant change to the approach, with the launch of the Customer Experience Framework and Program, mentioned above.

Consultation with staff and Unions has occurred on the new Policy, with the resulting draft being found at Attachment One.

Below is a summary of the consultation on the Policy that has occurred to date.

CONSULTATION SUMMARY
12 March 2024	Councillor briefing
21 March 2024	Councillor email inviting feedback
14 May 2024	Governance Committee Progress Report
24 June 2024 to 3 July 2024	Unions invited to provide feedback 1. Local Government Engineers Association 2. United Services Union 3. Development and Environmental Professionals Association
25 June 2024 to 2 July 2024	Council executive and managers invited to provide feedback
25 September 2024 to 18 October 2024	All Council staff invited to provide feedback
13 November 2024	Councillor Briefing
November 2024 (TBC)	Community invited to provide feedback

The work to deliver on the Customer Experience Program continues with a review of the program planned for early next year, with an anticipated increased focus on data capture and reporting. To date action in this space has been ad hoc, with a focus being on immediate actions to fundamentally shift the culture.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications relating to this recommendation.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	There are no economic and financial considerations.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	There are no social and cultural considerations.
Civic Leadership	Provide information about Council’s services, roles and decision making processes. Deliver services that are customer focused. Operate a well-developed governance system that demonstrates accountability, transparency and ethical conduct.
Legislative	There are no legislative considerations relating to this report.
Risk	The risk is deemed to be low. A current policy will highlight Council’s commitment to placing the customer at the centre of what we do. setting a commitment to Councils customer

ATTACHMENTS

1. DRAFT Customer Experience Policy final

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Customer Experience & Business Performance Report

CEBP 03

Provision of Australia Post Billpay Service

Strategic Objective	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Place customer satisfaction, innovation and best practice at the centre of all operations
File Ref	356602.2024
Report By	Anna Rizos - Manager Customer Experience
Approved By	Michelle Mcilvenny - Director Customer & Business Performance

Executive Summary

This report seeks an exemption from tendering, permitted under Section 55 (3) (i) of the Local Government Act 1993, to enter into contract with Australia Post.

The provision of an additional face to face payment facility for residents has been provided by the Australia Post Billpay service for a number of years. This service is critical to ensure the provision of multiple avenues for our rate payers to make payments and is essential for business continuity. This secure service collects cash and cheque rates payments on behalf of Council nationwide. In the financial year 2023/24 Australia Post collected 38,722 external payments equating to $20,870,384. From July 2024 to September 2024, 12,221 payments have been processed equating to $9,293,302.

The approximate expenditure for this service is $250,000 per annum. A merchant fee is charged at the point of transaction but is recovered by Australia Post and returned to Council. This equates to approximately $75,000 per annum, therefore the net cost to Council for this service is approximately $175,000 per annum.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Approves, for the purposes of the tendering requirements under s.55(3)(i) of the Local Government Act 1993, the engagement of Australia Post to provide Post Billpay services for five (5) years as a satisfactory result would not be achieved by inviting tenders because of the following extenuating circumstances:

· Australia Post provides a reliable and cost-effective bill paying service (Post Billpay) to residents and ratepayers of the Liverpool Local Government Area.

· There are other payment systems but none that provide the same face to face option at locations anywhere in Australia.

· Post Billpay provides an additional payment option that is well-known to Liverpool residents and ratepayers and switching to an alternative system would be disruptive and jeopardise rates recovery.

2. Authorise the Chief Executive Officer or delegate to execute all documents necessary to give effect to these resolutions.

REPORT

Australia Post has provided the service to Council for over 30 years and enables ratepayers to make face to face payment anywhere in Australia. The supply of this service is customary in Local Government and supports the provision of a consistent cash flow to Council. The service is reliable and timely and is considered essential, as it provides an easily accessible method of payment for ratepayers of Liverpool. The total cost of the contract over the five years is $1,250,000. The net cost to Council for this service is approximately $875,000 over the five years.

Staff are unaware of any other service that could realistically fill the same scope of service delivery as that is currently provided by Australia Post. Post Billpay is a simple and easy to use bill payment service provided by Australia Post which enables bills to be paid securely for most utility services. Staff will conduct market testing 12 months before the end of the contract to determine if there are more suppliers who can provide this service.

Given the volume of spend with Australia Post, the tender threshold under s.55 of the Local Government Act, 1993 (the Act) is triggered. However, in a single-supplier environment, a tender would take significant time, absorb significant staff resources, and come and significant cost. As such, and due to the nature of the supply, staff recommend a tender exemption under s.55(3)(i) of the Act.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Costs associated with this recommendation have been included in Council’s budget for the current year and long-term financial plan.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	The continuation of the service will ensure that there is a steady stream of revenue from rates for Council.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	The provision of this service supports the Community Strategic Plan strategy – Support an inclusive community by fostering access and equity for all. Australia Post outlets are available across the country and are readily accessible for all members of the community.
Civic Leadership	Deliver services that are customer focused.
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993 Subsection 55(1) of the Local Government Act requires Council to invite tenders before entering into specified kinds of contract. This includes a contract, such as here, for the provision of services to Council. Subsection 55(3) of the Local Government Act sets out exceptions to the tendering requirement under subsection 55(1). Paragraph 55(3)(i) provides that Council does not have to invite tenders prior to entering into: “(i) a contract where, because of extenuating circumstances, remoteness of locality or the unavailability of competitive or reliable tenderers, a council decides by resolution (which states the reasons for the decision) that a satisfactory result would not be achieved by inviting tenders”
Risk	If this service was not continued in its current manner, it would be considered a high risk to Council. Its immediate impact would see a reduction in the rate revenue collected.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

City Futures Report

CFD 01

2023-2024 Annual Report

Strategic Objective	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Demonstrate a high standard of transparency and accountability through a comprehensive governance framework
File Ref	331704.2024
Report By	Hiba Soueid - Manager City Strategy and Performance
Approved By	Shayne Mallard - Director City Futures

Executive Summary

Council is required to present its Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements to the Office of Local Government within five months of the end of the financial year in accordance with Section 428 of the Local Government Act 1993. In the year of the ordinary election, the State of our City Report (formerly referred to as the End of Term Report) is to be appended to the Annual Report in that year.

The Annual Report is a comprehensive report to the community on the work undertaken by Council to deliver on the commitments of the Delivery Program via that year’s Operational Plan. In addition, the Annual Report includes the statutory requirements as specified by relevant pieces of legislation.

The Annual Report published in the year of a council election also contains the State of our City Report (under a separate cover) that assesses progress on the implementation and effectiveness of the Community Strategic Plan.

This report seeks Council endorsement of the 2023-2024 Annual Report and for Council to note the State of Our City Report which will be tabled as an addendum at the Council meeting on 20 November 2024. The 2023-2024 Audited Financial Statements will be presented in a separate report from the Corporate Support Directorate.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council receives and endorses the Annual Report for 2023-2024.

REPORT

The Annual Report for the 2023-2024 financial year provides a comprehensive report to the community on Council’s financial and operational progress. It also includes the statutory information required by different pieces of legislation.

The Annual Report is a key piece of the Council’s reporting and accountability to the community and stakeholders. The report presents progress towards the outcomes of the Community Strategic Plan, projects and actions in the Delivery Program 2022-2026 and Operational Plan 2023-2024.

It also reports on statutory information required by different pieces of legislation including how Council has progressed on the delivery of the service reviews it has committed to undertake in that year, the results of those reviews and any changes made to levels of service in the areas under review.

The report is structured to effectively communicate Council’s vision and commitment to the community, showcase its ability to lead and deliver on commitments made, and profile Council’s activities and achievements. In addition, it recognises and celebrates the significant contributions of staff members.

To comply with the Local Government Act 1993, the 2023-24 Annual Report must be endorsed by Council within five months of the end of the financial year, published on Council's website, and provided to the Minister for Local Government.

This report recommends that the information contained in the 2023-2024 Annual Report be endorsed by Council and submitted to the NSW Office of Local Government by 30 November 2024.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications relating to this recommendation.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	The Annual Report for 30 June 2024 is contained and presented in this report.
Civic Leadership	The Annual Report sets the direction for Council’s strategic agenda, including all economic, environmental, social and civic leadership requirements.
Legislative	The Annual Report has been developed in line with the Local Government Act 1993. Section 428 of the Local Government Act states: · Within 5 months after the end of each year, a council must prepare a report for that year reporting its achievements in implementing its delivery program and the effectiveness of the principal activities undertaken in achieving the objectives at which those principal activities are directed. · The annual report for the year in which an ordinary election of councillors is to be held must also report on the council's achievements in implementing the community strategic plan over the previous 4 years. · An annual report must be prepared in accordance with the guidelines under section 406. · An annual report must contain the following: (a) a copy of the council's audited financial reports prepared in accordance with the Local Government Code of Accounting Practice and Financial Reporting published by the Department, as in force from time to time, (b) such other information or material as the regulations or the guidelines under section 406 may require, (c) a statement of the action taken by the council for any issue raised by the Anti-slavery Commissioner during the year concerning the operations of the council and identified by the Commissioner as being a significant issue,
	(d) a statement of steps taken to ensure that goods and services procured by and for the council during the year were not the product of modern slavery within the meaning of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 · A copy of the council's annual report must be posted on the council's website and provided to the Minister and such other persons and bodies as the regulations may require.
Risk	The risk is deemed to be High. Failure to provide regular progress reports to the council may result in non-compliance with the above legislation and may result in enforceable action by the Office of Local Government, Planning Policy. Financial risk management issues are included in the financial statements.

ATTACHMENTS

1. 2023-24 Annual Report (Under separate cover)

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Operations Report

OPER 02

Brickmakers Creek - Expansion of Project Site

Strategic Objective	Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging Improve liveability and quality of life for the community by delivering vibrant parks, places and facilities
File Ref	353571.2024
Report By	Clare McLay - Senior Project Manager WSIG Program
Approved By	Peter Scicluna - Acting Director Operations

Executive Summary

This report seeks Council’s endorsement of the expansion of the Brickmakers Creek parkland project by approximately 2,300m² to improve the quality of the park.

On 28 February 2024 Council endorsed the Brickmakers Creek portion of the Woodward Place Master Plan (File No: 027971.2024) following its success in being funded by the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program.

Since then, project planning for Brickmakers Creek has been underway and a Plan of Management is in progress that has recommended the expansion of the park.

The expansion would reduce lot fragmentation across the site, improve connectivity and sight lines, and align with existing lot boundaries.

The expansion would be into three lots, one owned by Crown Land and two owned by Council. There are no financial implications associated with the expansion.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council adopts the expansion of Brickmakers Creek by approximately 2,300m².

REPORT

Following Council endorsement of the Brickmakers Creek portion of the Woodward Place Master Plan on 28 February 2024, the project has progressed and consultants have been engaged to prepare a Plan of Management (PoM) for the Park.

The consultants have recommended inclusion of additional areas in the PoM to benefit outcomes for the community (Figure 1). These additional portions would increase the park by approximately 2,300m².

Figure 1 Current extent and proposed additional area

The expansion of the park would have the following positive outcomes:

1. Reduction of lot fragmentation – currently the proposed additional areas are disconnected 'islands' as they are excluded from the project scope and PoM. The southern portion will improve alignment with existing lot boundaries.

2. Improved planning and operational management – the inclusion of the new areas better defines the edges of the park and assists in clearer delineation for maintenance.

3. Improved aesthetics - the proposed new addition to the south has some of the most critical (valuable) views into Brickmakers Creek, including views towards the native woodland north of the SES site;

4. Improved landscape function and opportunity – the proposed new addition to the south is flat and 'dished' and could function as an important passive recreational space. For example, it could function as a central open amphitheatre-style place;

5. Enhanced connection - the smaller northern area would assist with connectivity of the project site and the parking area (key for movement and access). The larger southern site would assist in connectivity (movement and permeability) between the Brickmakers Creek site and the balance of Woodward Place, greatly contributing to the use of Woodward Place as a thoroughfare; and

6. Future planning: including these two areas would assist with the development of localised master planning as these two areas would become known quantities.

The revitalisation of Brickmakers Creek is a project within the Woodward Place Masterplan, submitted to Council on 27 October, 2020. The project envisions Liverpool’s first regional play space and the naturalisation of Brickmakers Creek. It will deliver attractive open space, recreation, and water sensitive urban design. The area of the project in relation to the whole site is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Project extent

As a result of Amendment 52 of the Liverpool Local Environmental Plan, the population in Liverpool is substantially increasing, creating demand for quality green and open space. The growing city centre will have a residential density similar to Pyrmont (at 154.3 persons per hectare) and there is currently an under-supply of social, cultural and recreational infrastructure to service the needs of the population.

Woodward Park is a heat island with little greenery, with asphalt for parking and netball courts, and Brickmakers Creek - a concrete drain. Heat island measurements from the park found it is hotter than the nearby CBD.

The Brickmakers Creek revitalisation project aims to transform the existing concrete drain and surrounding bare earth to restore the natural vegetation, add a water retention basin, reinstate a naturalised creek, and plant 1,000 more trees alongside native landscaping to provide amenity and help cool the parkland setting while providing active open space to city dwellers in the summer. The project will establish new trees and indigenous plants, within a naturalised creek, utilising water sensitive design treatment systems for the park.

In addition, the project will deliver a new regional play space which will be designed to cater for multi-generational and multicultural groups. The play space will include a sensory garden, water play and adventure equipment within a water-sensitive urban designed environment.

Considerable community engagement was undertaken for the 2020 master plan, including engagement with First Nations knowledge holders, local community members, the local Youth Leadership Council and Councillors.

A further report will be brought to the Council which details the concept design of Brickmakers Creek at Development Application stage.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications for Council in adopting the increased approximately 2,300m² area as the Brickmakers Creek project is funded by the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program. No land acquisitions are required.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	The financial impacts are outlined in the report above.
Environment	Protect, enhance and maintain areas of endangered ecological communities and high-quality bushland as part of an attractive mix of land uses.
Social	Deliver high quality services for children and their families.
Civic Leadership	Foster neighbourhood pride and a sense of responsibility. Deliver services that are customer focused
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993
Risk	The risk to the project is considered low if Council amend the boundaries of Brickmakers Creek. If Council chooses not to adopt the recommendation, the risk is considered high as the project will deliver a fragmented site

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Operations Report

OPER 03

Keep Australia Beautiful - Circular Economy Award

Strategic Objective	Liveable, Sustainable, Resilient Manage waste effectively and maximise recycling opportunities
File Ref	360102.2024
Report By	Tim Pasley - Manager Circular Economy
Approved By	Peter Scicluna - Acting Director Operations

Executive Summary

Liverpool City Council has been recognised with a prestigious 2024 Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB) Award for its innovative Mattress Processing Facility, celebrated for advancing sustainable waste management and supporting the circular economy. This facility addresses the significant environmental and financial challenges posed by mattress disposal, a key issue given the Council's collection of over 20,000 mattresses annually. Prior to the facility's establishment, the Council faced high external disposal costs, with fees ranging from $46 to $70 per mattress at landfills, contributing to rising waste management expenses.

The Mattress Processing Facility showcases Liverpool’s forward thinking strategy by shredding mattresses in house, recovering valuable materials like steel, foam, and textiles, and drastically reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills. These recovered materials are repurposed into products such as metal roofing, Processed Engineered Fuel (PEF) and carpet underlay, minimising environmental impact while generating new revenue streams. The facility also plays a vital role in regional sustainability by processing mattresses from neighbouring councils, further strengthening Liverpool’s leadership in sustainable waste practices.

This initiative aligns with the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 and Liverpool’s 10 Year Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy, adopted in August 2021. Through collaborative efforts, long term contracts, and partnerships, the facility operates as a regional hub for efficient waste management.

The KAB Award reflects Liverpool’s commitment to environmental stewardship and operational excellence. Moving forward, the Council will continue to optimise the facility's operations, explore innovative recycling solutions in partnership with universities, and contribute to research in sustainable waste management.

The Mattress Processing Facility demonstrates how innovative waste solutions can drive both environmental and economic benefits, positioning Liverpool as a leader in sustainable resource management and reinforcing the community’s commitment to building a cleaner, more sustainable future.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council acknowledges the receipt of the award and recognises the efforts of the staff involved.

REPORT

Background:

Liverpool City Council’s innovative approach to waste management has been recognised with a significant achievement at the 2024 Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB) Awards. Our newly implemented Mattress Processing Facility was honored for its excellence in sustainable waste management and contribution to the circular economy.

This award highlights the Council's strategic efforts to address the pressing issue of mattress waste, which previously posed challenges in both collection and disposal. Prior to the establishment of this facility, Liverpool City Council managed the disposal of over 20,000 mattresses annually through costly external services. With disposal fees reaching up to $46 per mattress and up to $70 at landfills, the environmental and financial impact was a growing concern.

The facility’s success reflects Council’s forward thinking strategy to shred mattresses, recover valuable materials such as steel, foam, and textiles, and reduce waste sent to landfills. By shredding mattresses in house, Council not only cuts costs but also contributes to a significant reduction in landfill space and greenhouse gas emissions. The materials recovered are repurposed into products like metal roofing, Processed Engineered Fuel (PEF) and carpet underlay.

The project also supports regional sustainability by enabling the processing of mattresses from other councils across Western Sydney. Council's collaborative efforts, long term contracts, and resource sharing model make the facility a hub for sustainable waste management, aligning with the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 as we as Council’s 10 year Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy, adopted on 25 August 2021.

This recognition from Keep Australia Beautiful serves as a testament to Liverpool City Council’s commitment to environmental stewardship, innovation, and operational excellence. Moving forward, the facility will continue to optimise operations, explore partnerships with universities, and contribute to research in innovative recycling methods.

Our win at the KAB Awards is not only a moment of pride for Liverpool City Council but also a reflection of our community’s dedication to creating a cleaner, more sustainable future.

About the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Cities Awards

The KABNSW Sustainable Cities Awards Program recognises and celebrates environmental achievements across metropolitan New South Wales. Since its inception, the awards have acknowledged initiatives that not only protect the environment but also enhance community well being and quality of life. By celebrating innovative solutions, the program motivates local communities to take meaningful action, building sustainable futures through partnerships with local authorities, businesses, schools, and residents.

These awards are designed to foster long term environmental stewardship and provide a platform for communities to share successful initiatives. Liverpool City Council’s win in the Circular Economy category reflects the significance of the Mattress Recycling Initiative, which demonstrates how waste can be transformed into new products, driving both environmental and economic benefits.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

There are no financial implications relating to this recommendation.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	There are no economic and financial considerations.
Environment	Minimise household and commercial waste.
Social	There are no social and cultural considerations.
Civic Leadership	There are no civic leadership and governance considerations.
Legislative	There are no legislative considerations relating to this report.
Risk	There is no risk associated with this report.

ATTACHMENTS

1. KAB Award - Liverpool City Council - Circular Economy

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Operations Report

OPER 04

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations on Public Land Policy

Strategic Objective	Liveable, Sustainable, Resilient Deliver and advocate for a sustainable, cool and green city
File Ref	361972.2024
Report By	Michael Zengovski - Manager City Environment
Approved By	Peter Scicluna - Acting Director Operations

Executive Summary

This report presents the outcomes of the public exhibition of the draft Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations on Public Land Policy and seeks Council endorsement of the revised Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations on Public Land Policy.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council endorses the Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations on Public Land Policy.

REPORT

Background

Council, at its meeting held on 24 July 2024, resolved to place the draft Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations on Public Land Policy (Policy) on public exhibition for 28 days in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993.

The purpose of the Policy is to guide prospective providers and Council on the provision, installation and management of EV charging infrastructure on Council managed public land.

EV uptake is increasing in NSW and Council has received multiple requests from private organisations to install chargers on public land. The Policy will facilitate the installation of charging infrastructure in a way that is responsible and protects Council from potential risks.

Consultation and Development of the Policy

The Policy was developed collaboratively through comprehensive consultation. ARUP was engaged to lead the development of the Policy and the supporting overarching EV Strategy – overarching strategy document.

The development of the Policy involved:

· Two technical engagement workshops with staff on 29 February and 11 April 2024.

· Presentation to the Environment Advisory Committee (EAC) meeting held on 15 April 2024.

· Feedback from internal teams across council including Transport, Fleet, Planning, Compliance, Commercial Development, Procurement and City Economy.

· Councillor briefing on 9 July 2024.

· Policy report submitted to the Council meeting held on 24 July 2024 seeking endorsement to place the Policy on public exhibition for 28 days in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993.

Public Exhibition

The draft Policy and the overarching EV Strategy was publicly exhibited on 8 August 2024 for 28 days to seek feedback from the community, with submissions closing on 5 September 2024. The public exhibition of the documents was promoted through Council’s social media. The EAC and other key stakeholders were also notified of the exhibition period.

One community submission was received during the public exhibition period, considered in the revised policy.

Concurrently with the public exhibition period, a final round of feedback was sought from the following parties:

· Environment Advisory Committee

· Council internal stakeholders

· A peer review by an independent consultant (Ironbark Sustainability) against industry best practice standards

Revision and Endorsement of Policy

The Policy was revised in response to feedback received during the public exhibition period.

The revised Policy and associated overarching EV Strategy are attached to this report. A Consultation and Submissions Report is also attached, which provides an overview of how the feedback informed the revision of the Policy.

This report seeks Council endorsement of the Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations on Public Land Policy.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Financial implications will be the subject of consideration for each installation. The Policy aims to clarify potential financial considerations rather than limiting the procurement approaches available to Council. It is anticipated that the provider will be responsible for the cost of the EV charging infrastructure (including installation, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning) under an agreement with Council.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	Climate Change Policy and Action Plan implementation will focus on actions with a short payback period where possible.
Environment	The Policy and Action Plan guide the delivery of improved environmental outcomes. They identify commitments and priority actions to decrease emissions from Council and the community.
Social	The Action Plan identifies actions that guide how Council can support the community to reduce their emissions.
Civic Leadership	The Policy and Action Plan respond to sustainability goals included in Council’s Community Strategic Plan 2022-2032 such as increased energy efficiency. They prescribe commitments and priority actions to ensure that Council positions itself as a sustainability leader.
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993 and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
Risk	Climate change presents a significant risk to Council and the community. The development of a strategic approach to reduce emissions via the Climate Change Policy and Liverpool Climate Action Plan will help Council fulfil its responsibility to minimise climate change risks.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations on Public Land Policy (Under separate cover)

2. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations on Public Land - Overarching Strategy Document (Under separate cover)

3. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations on Public Land - Consultation and Submissions Report (Under separate cover)

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Operations Report

OPER 05

Water Play Feature Plant & Equipment Replacement at Macquarie Mall

Strategic Objective	Evolving, Prosperous, Innovative Continue to invest in improving and maintaining Liverpool’s road networks and infrastructure
File Ref	369751.2024
Report By	Keith Cowley - Acting Manager Project Delivery
Approved By	Peter Scicluna - Acting Director Operations

Executive Summary

The water play feature at Macquarie Mall was recently damaged by a heavy storm. It was struck by lightning and the plant and equipment were subsequently flooded.

The damages are beyond economical repair and therefore, replacement is required. The cost is not budgeted in the 2024/25 Capital Works Project Delivery. This report is to seek additional funding from the General Cash Funding of $166,000 inclusive of GST.

This water play feature is operational during summer and it is enjoyed by the local community and residents. Council has previously received positive feedback on this feature and repair/replacement is recommended.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Replace two control panels.

2. Replace two separate submersible pumps.

3. Replace media and filtration system.

4. Repair the Water Play Feature.

REPORT

BACKGROUND:

The water play feature at Macquarie Mall was recently damaged by a heavy storm. It was struck by lightning and the plant and equipment were subsequently flooded.

The lightning strike knocked out the power. This damaged the water play feature’s plant and equipment electronic controls. Damage to the drainage pumps means that it is now inoperable.

The storm also caused the pit to overflow. This damaged crucial electronic and electrical equipment controlling the water play feature.

The pit has been pumped out and the damage was inspected. It has been assessed as follows:

SCOPE OF WORKS:

Two control panels that operate the two separate submersible pumps within the plant room and the stormwater pit, respectively are damaged beyond economical repair (BER) and replacement is recommended.

There is a solenoid control valve that allows bromine to be dosed into the circulation system to disinfect the water and is damaged BER. Replacement of this valve is recommended.

The ventilation fan in the plant room is damaged BER, replacement is recommended.

The balance tank was flooded and needs to be drained and cleaned.

The media was flooded. Filter, drain and media replacement is recommended.

INDICATIVE COSTING:

The storm/flooding damage repairs can be listed to include:

· Control replacement - $93,350.00

· Submersible pump replacement - $8,500.00

· Filtration system strip clean and media upgrade - $19,800.00

Other associated works including:

· Water Play Feature body exterior repair, powder coat and associated works - $15,500.00

Cost estimate total - $137,150.00

10% contingency $13,000

Plus GST @10%

TOTAL: $165,951.50

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Costs associated with this recommendation are outside of Council’s current budget and long-term financial plan. The impact on the budget and long-term financial plan are outlined in the table below.

	2021/22	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25	2025/26
Operating budget / LTFP impact
Capital budget impact
Ongoing unbudgeted impact to opex from capital expenditure
Unbudgeted impact to unrestricted cash	$165,951.50
Funding source

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	Facilitate the development of new tourism based on local attractions, culture and creative industries.
Environment	Manage the environmental health of waterways. Manage air, water, noise and chemical pollution.
Social	Raise awareness in the community about the available services and facilities. Deliver high quality services for children and their families.
Civic Leadership	There are no civic leadership and governance considerations.
Legislative	There are no legislative considerations relating to this report.
Risk	The risk is deemed to be Medium. During summer seasons, the local community uses this facility for family and children’s enjoyment and health well-being to reduce the heat. The storm damaged the plant and equipment of this water play feature. If it is not replaced, it will result in shutting down this facility. The risk is considered within/outside the Council’s risk appetite.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Committee Reports

CTTE 02

Minutes of the Civic Advisory Committee meeting held on 6 November 2024

Strategic Objective	Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging Promote a harmonious community that celebrates its diversity
File Ref	354328.2024
Report By	Gabriella Rojas - Administration Officer
Approved By	Tina Bono - Director Community & Lifestyle

Executive Summary

This report is tabled to present the Minutes of the Civic Advisory Committee meeting held on 6 November 2024.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council receives and notes the Minutes of the Civic Advisory Committee meeting held on 6 November 2024.

REPORT

The Minutes of the Civic Advisory Committee meeting held on 6 November 2024 are attached for the information of Council.

The minutes of the 6 November 2024 contain the following actions or Committee recommendations:

Item 04 – Update on Status of Resolutions from Previous Meeting

i. John Edmondson VC Statue

Action Items:

· Invite the Manager City Planning, to provide an update on the status of the VPA to the next meeting. This will allow the committee to share their disappointment and concerns in the timeframe of implementation of statue.

· Confirm the location of the statue and the reflected intention of the statue to the community.

· Provide a diagram or map of Central Park, and the statues suggested location in proportion.

ii. Interpretive Sign at Remembrance Drive

Action Item:

· Council Operations to replace the existing sign and consider updating the wording.

iii. Civic Awards Policy and Charter / Conflict of Interest

Action Items:

· Staff will distribute the current copy of the Civic Awards Policy and Charter to all committee members for review.

· Mr Bob Brassel to provide staff with a copy of the civic list for future invitations.

iv. Committee Membership

Action Items:

· Staff to resend re-application form to existing members.

· Staff to contact the organisations without a current representative to join the committee.

· Staff to engage with Migrant Resource Centre and Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council to discuss their interest and involvement in the committee.

· Staff to follow up with the interested community representative regarding the Expression of Interest in the committee.

v. Missing plaques on Light Horsemen Bridge

Action item:

· Staff to investigate and replace missing plaque.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

None of the actions contained in the minutes will have a financial impact on Council.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	There are no economic and financial considerations.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	There are no social and cultural considerations.
Civic Leadership	Encourage the community to engage in Council initiatives and actions. Provide information about Council’s services, roles and decision-making processes. Deliver services that are customer focused. Operate a well-developed governance system that demonstrates accountability, transparency and ethical conduct.
Legislative	There are no legislative considerations relating to this report.
Risk	The risk is deemed to be low and is within Council’s risk appetite.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Minutes From Civic Advisory Committee Meeting held on 6 November 2024.

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Questions with Notice

3. The festivals Council engaged social media influencers to attend and/or promote and if so,

a. Which festival/s were social media influencers engaged;

Influencers are typically engaged across our event campaigns for marketing purposes. We have engaged social media influencers for the following events across 2023 & 2024;

Christmas in the Mall 2023

Lanterns & Lights 2023 & 2024

Motherland 2023 & 2024

Winter blast 2023 & 2024

Pasifika Summer 2023

Starry Sari 2024

Paris Olympics Live 2024

EuroFest 2024

However, across many of our events social media influencers may attend of their own accord without having been engaged by Council.

b. How many social media influencers were involved, for what agreed purpose were influencers engaged and what were the costs.

Social media influencers are engaged to promote the event and are usually contracted for pre-event promotion and on-site live feeds/reels that are then shared on our social media channels across the event weekend. The use and engagement of social media influencers

vary depending on the audience we would like to reach, and the core offering from the event.

For instance, we have frequently used ‘Sydney Food Boy’ to propel our event marketing for festivals where the draw card may lie in a unique culinary experience – such as Lanterns & Lights, or Motherland African Festival. ‘Western Sydney Mums’ has been engaged for events that have a family and child-friendly focus.

Influencers engaged for marketing purposes are paid a fee, and this has ranged from $600 to $2000 depending on their following numbers and reach, or the campaign proposal which may include pre and during event promotion, or a lead-up campaign over several days.

Influencers are usually briefed on the key points to promote, which may include highlighting food, entertainment, and amenities such as parking or free activities.

For some of our high-visitation events, such as Most Blessed Nights and Lanterns & Lights, we also find that influencers visit organically, without engagement, and post regarding our event for content on their pages across Instagram and TikTok.

Bites with Lily (748k following), Mahmoud Ismail (102k following), Sydney Food Brothers (12.5k following) as well as several smaller influencers have attended our events without invitation and resulted in press for the event that we have seen reflected in our visitations on subsequent nights after a post goes viral.

Many of our stallholders also collaborate to our social media reach through their influencer status. The events stallholder EOI selection process does take note of social media following and whether this can be leveraged for audience engagement. With marketing budgets conservative across our event budgets, this strategy assists and fuels audience engagement, with organic posts resonating more deeply with our audiences than noticeably paid influencer content.

Vendor-influencers benefit in seeing high traffic through our events to boost sales, and so they willingly promote their attendance, and Liverpool Council events are amplified. Such vendors have included Knafeh Sydney (57.2k following), Good Bar Acai (15.4k following), Flappys Fried Chicken (15.9k following).

For Southwest Sessions is a Youth focused event and historically we have been challenged in engaging the 18–25-year-old using traditional marketing channels. In 2024, we engaged stallholder coordinator Bossman Experiences who previously worked with Parramatta Council for Parramatta Lanes on a viral food activation. Bossman Experiences curated a line-up of high-profile vendors to boost visibility for the event and target the illusive demographic market. These vendors then shared their participation at the event, resulting in significant organic reach. Bossman Experiences was engaged as a stallholder coordinator, not a social media influencer, for $9,000 which was subsidised by stallholder revenue. The reach achieved through this initiative could be valued at $25,000 or more had influencers been directly engaged. This pilot initiative proved particularly effective in testing contemporary marketing practice and as such will be tested broadly for future events.

In addition, Council, through its delivery of the ‘Highschool Leadership forum’ held this year and its engagement with the growing university student population has seen interest in participation across this demographic, and the willingness to act as ambassadors for our events bringing similar benefits to the demographic reach locally. A model is currently being explored to capatilise on this opportunity.

4. Has Council secured government funding to cover the full costs for current and future number of festivals and, if not what budgetary allocation has been, or will be made?

Council has secured funding to supplement its calendar of events, however these do not cover the full cost for current festivals. These include,

$800,000 over two years (2023/2024) from Multicultural NSW Funding under the ‘Stronger Together program for;

Motherland 2023/2024

Primavera 2023/2024

Pasifika Summer 2023/2024

$24,265 and $10,000 from Australia Day Council for;

Australia Day 2023

Australia Day Bigge BBQ 2024

$3000 per year (2023 & 2024) from the National Indigenous Australians Agency for;

NAIDOC 2023

NAIDOC 2024

$150,000 from Transport for NSW under the Open Streets program for;

Starry Sari Nights 2024

Continuing with the Experience the World series of events beyond 2024 in its current form will result in a budgetary shortfall of $400,000.

It is anticipated that outside the Multicultural NSW Funding under the ‘Stronger Together program, Council other grants will remain concurrent.

Council is currently looking at options to remodel “Experience the World” to offset this shortfall in preparation for the 25/26 budget as well as cost saving initiatives such as:

· An increase in vendor fees and noted in the Council papers;

· Exploring new grant opportunities; and

· Sponsorship.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Questions with Notice

QWN 02

Question with Notice - Clr Dr Green - Mosquito Management Plan, Implementation, Funding and Monitoring

Strategic Objective

Liveable, Sustainable, Resilient

Protect and enhance our natural environment and increase

the city’s resilience to the effects of natural hazards, shocks and stresses

File Ref

364224.2024

QUESTION WITH NOTICE

Background

In 2019 Council took a number of actions to address the problem of mosquito outbreaks, in particular those species that are serious nuisance - biting pests and vectors of disease-carrying pathogens i.e. Ross River virus.

It was agreed at the time that Council was the most appropriate agency to coordinate and lead the program as it required the cooperation and input of residents, Defence, Sydney Water, among other stakeholders.

One of the actions Council took was to engage NSW Health to prepare a mosquito management.

At the Council Meeting on 25 September 2019 Council adopted the implementation of the Mosquito Management Plan.

The Mosquito Management Plan was a multiyear program that involved an education and awareness campaign and the spraying of larvicides to prevent further outbreaks.

It was a successful program and shows what Council can do when it takes leadership in the interest of public health and collaborates with stakeholders.

Please address the following questions

1. An initial budget allocation of $30,000 was directed to the Operational Plan to address the mosquitoes in Liverpool - has this allocation been ongoing? And,

2. Has the budget allocation for the Management Plan been increased annually?

In 2019 regular surveillance and monitoring of identified areas of concern was recommended and 2 mosquito traps purchased by Council to collect - for testing and identification of mosquito species and pathogens.

3. Has the number of mosquito traps increased over the implementation time of the Management Plan and if so, how many traps does Council now have?

Surveillance and Monitoring is central to the Mosquito Management Plan.

4. Has Council continued the surveillance and monitoring regime? And if so,

a. When were these fundamental activities completed prior to the current outbreak? And if not

b. When did these activities cease and why?

Response (provided by Operations Directorate)

1. An initial budget allocation of $30,000 was directed to the Operational Plan to address the mosquitoes in Liverpool - has this allocation been ongoing?

The initial budget allocation was removed after the 1^st year as our financial section believed it was only one year allocation. The team responsible for the delivery of the Plan sourced funds from other maintenance teams to cover ongoing costs. This cost had been reduced due to low numbers of mosquitoes and unfavourable season and environmental conditions. This means that there were fewer target spraying occurrences on our identified breeding areas for our disease carrying mosquitos as they were not required.

Budget was re-established in 2022-2023 at a reduced allocation of $18,000,and increased in 2023-2024 to $20,000. But due to this particular bad season, further funding will be required.

2. Has the budget allocation for the Management Plan been increased annually?

Budget allocation has not increased, expenditure is variable subject to seasonal and environmental conditions that impact on treatment and the need to treat. Only since budget has been re-established for mosquito management of identified breeding areas, we have had an increase in budget to $20,000.

3. Has the number of mosquito traps increased over the implementation time of the Management Plan and if so, how many traps does Council now have?

Under the Arborviruses program we have only two nominated sites for the program which is considered hotspots of concern, Warwick Farm and Hammondville. We have a third trap now since 2023 to trap areas outside of the Arbovirus program and as a backup if one of our traps fail.

4. Has Council continued the surveillance and monitoring regime? And if so,

Council staff from the Environmental Operation team continued surveillance and monitoring regime during mosquito season as part of the Arbovirus program and investigating complaints of possible mosquito breeding areas.

a. When were these fundamental activities completed prior to the current outbreak? And if not

Mosquito season finished in May 2024 and monitoring stopped until a complaint occurred in June, monitoring occurred two weeks in a row with no mosquitoes caught, insect numbers decreased at that time and no further activities were undertaken until complaints started on 1 October 2024.

b. When did these activities cease and why?

Normal surveillance and monitoring occurs between November through to May each year subject to weather conditions.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Ordinary Meeting

20 November 2024

Notices of Motion

NOM 05

Mosquitoes

Strategic Objective

Liveable, Sustainable, Resilient

Protect and enhance our natural environment and increase

the city’s resilience to the effects of natural hazards, shocks and stresses

File Ref

370298.2024

Author

Councillor Sam Karnib

I move:

NOTICE OF MOTION

That Council:

1. Commends the swift and effective action taken by the NSW State Government and Agencies, such as Sydney Water, in addressing the significant mosquito infestation in Liverpool;

2. Notes Liverpool Council had a Mosquito Management Plan, initiated in 2019 that now seems to no longer exist;

3. Notes that suburbs across the entire LGA are affected by a mosquito outbreak including breeding grounds in areas that are managed by Liverpool City Council;

4. Notes that each year around the same time, mosquito outbreaks occur and have done so for years; and

5. Re-implement a Mosquito Management Plan and allocate $50,000.00 from Liverpool Council’s General Funds to run such a plan.

ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S COMMENT

Mosquito Management Background

Since 2019 Liverpool City Council (LCC) staff have attempted to engage with Sydney Water on mosquitoes. This was in response to a Sydney wide mosquito outbreak in the summer of 2019. At the time, Sydney Water’s Warwick Farm Water Recycling Plant was reported as a potential mosquito breeding area. LCC engaged with other agencies and land managers to address the outbreak from a regional approach. Sydney Water advised LCC that they already had a plan of management developed by a mosquito expert, an Associate Professor from NSW Health Pathology. LCC developed their own mosquito management plan.

In 2022, LCC followed up with Sydney Water to see if they were implementing their mosquito management plan. Sydney Water advised they had started but had stopped work on the Plan. On 4 July 2022, LCC provided Sydney Water contact details for the mosquito expert, the Associate Professor from NSW Health Pathology as the Associate Professor had lost contact with Sydney Water when the previous Sydney Water staff member left the organisation. LCC helped to reconnect NSW Health with Sydney Water to assist on the implementation of their mosquito management plan.

Council has been monitoring and delivering its mosquito management plan since 2019. In addition, LCC staff have participated in the Arborvirus program every year with NSW Health since 2019.

LCC’s Coordinator Environmental Operations has been recognised with a certificate of appreciation issued by NSW Health for participating in mosquito management since 2019.

Under Council’s mosquito management plan, identified breeding areas have been monitored and surveyed every year since 2019, this included mosquito trapping and staff walking through wetlands surveying for mosquito larvae. Weather conditions and tidal movements dictated if spraying of breeding areas would occur.

Current Mosquito Outbreak

Council and NSW Health have been leading the investigation that has led to finding the source of the current mosquito outbreak at the Sydney Water Warwick Farm site. On 31 October 2024, the settlement ponds at the Sydney Water Warwick Farm facility were confirmed as the source of the current mosquito infestation. The frogbit infestation on the settlement ponds forms a perfect mosquito breeding habitat. Council staff are continuing to work with other agencies, including the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, NSW Health and Sydney Water to ensure that the issue of mosquitos and biosecurity threats are treated promptly and not ignored again.

Since being informed on 31 October 2024, that the source of the current mosquito outbreak is the Sydney Water Warwick Farm facility, Sydney Water has been proactive to remove frogbit weeds and spray larvae. Sydney Water’s progress is provided on Council’s web site.

Other than the Sydney Water Warwick Farm WRP, there is only one other significant mosquito breeding area in the LGA that LCC monitors and treats at Lt Cantello Reserve. Besides this identified area, there are no other significant mosquito breeding areas in the LGA that LCC is aware of. LCC staff are continuously monitoring for mosquito breeding areas in the LGA. Based on Council’s mosquito trapping due to this current outbreak of mosquitos, no disease carrying mosquito have been identified. Trapping has occurred since complaints started in early October 2024. Mosquito species that have been found in above average numbers are mosquito species that breed around residential properties.

Mosquito outbreaks have been low since 2020 due to abnormal cooler weather, typically we don’t see large numbers of mosquitoes till around March through to end of May and these numbers have been low in comparison to 2019 and the current mosquito outbreak.

In summary, LCC has been implementing its mosquito management plan since 2019 and will soon be updating the plan. Funding expenditure has been subject to seasonal conditions and varies depending on treatment numbers.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

It is recommended that a budget allocation of $50,000 per annum is allocated for updates to and the ongoing implementation of Council’s mosquito management plan.

	2024/25	2025/26	2026/27	2027/28	2028/29
Operating budget / LTFP impact	$50,000
Capital budget impact
Ongoing unbudgeted impact to opex from capital expenditure
Unbudgeted impact to unrestricted cash
Funding source

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

OPENING 6.00pm.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY, PRAYER OF COUNCIL AND AFFIRMATION READ BY

The prayer of the Council, Acknowledgement of Country was read by Reverend Tim Booker from St Lukes Anglican Church.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

The National Anthem was played at the meeting.

COUNCILLORS ATTENDING REMOTELY

NIL.

APOLOGIES

ITEM NO: OPER 01

ITEM NO: CONF 01

1
PLAN 01	Quarterly Report - Clause 4.6 Variations to Development Standards
Attachment 1	Clause 4.6 Variation Register

Strategic Objective	Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging Deliver great and exciting events and programs for our people and visitors
File Ref	356206.2024
Report By	Clara McGuirk - Manager Cultural Venues and Events
Approved By	Tina Bono - Director Community & Lifestyle

Strategic Direction	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Demonstrate a high standard of transparency and accountability through a comprehensive governance framework
Key Policy	Long-Term Financial Plan
File Ref	351675.2024
Report By	Vishwa Nadan - Chief Financial Officer
Approved By	Farooq Portelli - Director Corporate Support

Economic	The audited financial results for the ended 30 June 2024 are contained and presented in this report.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	There are no social and cultural considerations.
Civic Leadership	There are no civic leadership and governance considerations.
Legislative	Section 417 and Section 420 of the Local Government Act 1993.
Risk	Financial risk management issues are included in the financial statements.

1
CEBP 04	Amendment to the "non-voting" membership of Councillors on the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee
Attachment 1	Charter (Terms of Reference) - Liverpool City Council Audit Risk and Improvement Committee

1
CTTE 01	Minutes of the Liverpool Youth Council Meeting held 13 August 2024
Attachment 1	Minutes Liverpool Youth Council 13 August 2024

Economic	There are no economic or financial considerations.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	Support community organisations, groups, and volunteers to deliver coordinated services to the community.
Civic Leadership	There are no civic leadership and governance considerations.
Legislative	Sections 356(3), 377(1), and 378 of the Local Government Act 1993.
Risk	There are no risk considerations.

1
CTTE 03	Minutes of the Liverpool Sports Committee meeting held on 4 September 2024
Attachment 1	Liverpool Sports Committee Minutes of meeting held 4 September 2024

1
CTTE 04	Minutes of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee meeting held on 11 October 2024
Attachment 1	Liverpool City Council ARIC minutes - 11 October 2024