Agenda of Governance Committee Meeting

Governance Committee Meeting

13 May 2025

Strategic Priorities Committee Report

ITEM 01

Liverpool City Council and Bradfield Development Authority - Strategic Governance Framework and Memorandum of Understanding

Strategic Objective	Evolving, Prosperous, Innovative Maintain strong relationships with agencies, stakeholders and businesses to achieve beneficial outcomes for the city
File Ref	096574.2025
Report By	Julie Scott - Manager City Economy
Approved By	Shayne Mallard - Director City Futures

Executive Summary

Bradfield City Centre, located within the Aerotropolis, is a key precinct for Liverpool, with infrastructure assets to be managed by Liverpool City Council (LCC) after handover from the Bradfield Development Authority.

The draft Strategic Governance Framework and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) supports the strategic and operational interaction between LCC and Bradfield Development Authority (BDA) to:

· Set out key governance principles that Council can apply within Bradfield to ensure positive benefits for the community.

· Outline clear decision making and accountability amongst stakeholders.

· Establish a mixed-use precinct at Bradfield within the Liverpool LGA.

· Ensure the financially sustainable management of infrastructure.

· Optimise public and private investments.

The Governance Framework and MOU emphasises collaboration, good governance, accountability, and transparency between LCC and BDA. The principles will focus on strategic priorities such as transport connections, private investment attraction and economic development, and infrastructure handover, along with longer-term goals like stormwater management and placemaking.

Working within the Framework and MOU will drive the successful development of Bradfield City Centre, benefiting both the public and private sectors while supporting Liverpool City’s growth.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Endorses the attached draft Strategic Governance Framework and Memorandum of Understanding between Liverpool City Council and Bradfield Development Authority regarding Bradfield City Centre’s connectivity, economic development and community planning and development.

2. Endorses the allocation of $120,000 in FY25/26 to jointly co-fund an LCC and BDA Coordinator role to ensure that key deliverables and KPIs are met as set out in the Memorandum of Understanding.

REPORT

Bradfield City Centre within the Aerotropolis (Map 1) will have infrastructure assets that Liverpool City Council (LCC) will manage and maintain after its development and handover from the Bradfield Development Authority (BDA). To help support the management and maintenance of the City Centre funding sources are being identified, including potential access of a s7.12 Contributions Plan developed and adopted in July 2024 for the Bradfield City Centre and broader Aerotropolis Precinct. The plan authorises a s7.12 levy at the rate of 4.6% for development costs over $200,000.

Map detailing the location of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, including Western Sydney Airport, and Bradfield City Centre.

Map 1: Bradfield City Centre and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis Image: NSW Government

Bradfield City Centre will be Australia's newest city located on the doorstep of the Western Sydney International Airport within the Liverpool LGA. Bradfield City Centre is planned to be a thriving 24/7 hub of entertainment, culture, creativity, open green space, retail, and innovation, creating 10,000 more homes and 20,000 new jobs for the people of Western Sydney. Bradfield is expected to be a 5-minute walkable city that is easily connected to Greater Sydney and the world through integrated transport links and the Airport.

Council has been working with the CEO and senior management of BDA to develop a draft Strategic Governance Framework and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide roadmap for strategic and operational interactions between LCC and BDA.

The purpose of both documents, which have been reviewed and supported by Council’s Legal Services, is to:

· Identify and develop a long-term issues and solutions strategy for operational and asset matters

· Support the strategic relationship between LCC and BDA including communication, marketing, planning, community services and innovation

· establish a new mixed-use precinct in the Liverpool Local Government Area (LGA) through the development of Bradfield City Centre

· enable financially sustainable management of local infrastructure assets and services developed in Bradfield City Centre as an integral part of Liverpool

· optimise benefits from public and private investment in Bradfield City Centre for the growing and changing community of Liverpool, leveraging the new 24-hour Western Sydney International Airport

Both the Governance Framework and MOU reflect that LCC and BDA are committed to collaborative leadership that drives momentum to establish Bradfield City Centre for its long-term success as part of the Liverpool LGA. The adoption of policy and implementation programs, as outlined in both documents, seeks to formalise the partnership between the LCC and BDA and strengthen existing roles each party holds.

The Governance Framework provides clear governance principles and decision making whilst the MOU empowers LCC and BDA to adopt a “good governance” approach, which is defined by the NSW Audit Office as “high-level processes and behaviours that ensure an organisation performs by achieving its intended purpose, and conforms by complying with all relevant laws, codes and directions while meeting community expectations of probity, accountability and transparency.” Good governance enables LCC and BDA to effectively implement actions which lead to improved outcomes.

The principles underpinning interactions at all levels between LCC and BDA are to:

· adopt processes and behaviours for achieving the purpose of the MOU

· strive towards providing both parties with desirable outcomes

· effectively implement actions which lead to timely outcomes

· comply with all relevant laws, codes and directions

· meet community expectations of probity, accountability and transparency

The priority areas of focus for interactions between LCC and BDA under the MOU are:

· Ongoing strategic priorities

o Transport connections between Bradfield City Centre to Liverpool City Centre and South West Sydney

o Attracting private investment to drive economic benefits and jobs

· Immediate priorities

o New local infrastructure for management handover which is financially sustainable by LCC that will need to be considered in the Long Term Financial Plan

o Public Domain Guidelines for Bradfield City Centre

o Enabling mixed use development of the first land release through the BDA’s private development partner

o Enabling orderly development of other sites across Bradfield City Centre

· Medium to longer term priorities

o Jointly working with Sydney Water on implementation of its regional stormwater obligations

o Jointly working on community creation initiatives that supports local and regional scale placemaking and activation of new parks, streets and buildings

Administration and Secretariat

The Framework and MOU will be administered by a dedicated Secretariat managed by a co-funded Coordinator role that will sit within Council. The Secretariat will support a SteerCo, co-chaired by the Mayor Liverpool City Council and Chair of Bradfield Development Authority. The SteerCo will develop goals and measures of success, identify potential partnerships and define high level roles and responsibilities. A Working Group, comprising senior management of both organisations, will then work on implementing and reporting on the goals, policies and procedures.

The Bradfield City Centre, situated within the Aerotropolis, will play a vital role in the growth of Liverpool City, with the collaboration between LCC and the BDA ensuring its long-term success. The MOU establishes a robust governance framework that promotes good governance, accountability, and transparency in managing the infrastructure assets after its development and handover. This collaborative effort, aligned with the strategic vision of leveraging the new Western Sydney International Airport, will help transform Bradfield City Centre into a thriving mixed-use precinct, integral to Liverpool City’s future and benefiting both the public and private sectors.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Council is to consider co-funding a dedicated Coordinator role in the 25/26FY whereby each party will contribute $120,000 per annum on a recurring basis.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	Further develop a commercial centre that accommodates a variety of employment opportunities. Deliver and maintain a range of transport related infrastructure such as footpaths, bus shelters and bikeways. Enhance the environmental performance of buildings and homes. Deliver a high-quality local road system including provision and maintenance of infrastructure and management of traffic issues. Facilitate economic development. Facilitate the development of new tourism based on local attractions, culture and creative industries.
Environment	Promote an integrated and user-friendly public transport service. Support the delivery of a range of transport options.
Social	Provide cultural centres and activities for the enjoyment of the arts. Preserve and maintain heritage, both landscape and cultural as urban development takes place. Regulate a mix of housing types that respond to different population groups such as young families and older people. 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. Operate a well-developed governance system that demonstrates accountability, transparency and ethical conduct. Actively advocate for federal and state government support, funding and services.
Legislative	Local Government Act 1993 - Legislative Considerations: · s. 21 - A council has the functions conferred or imposed on it by or under this Act, including ancillary functions that assist the carrying out of a council’s service and regulatory functions. · s. 22 - A council has the functions conferred or imposed on it by or under any other Act or law including under section 50 of the Interpretation Act 1987 which provides that a statutory corporation may do and suffer all other things that bodies corporate may, by law, do and suffer and that are necessary for, or incidental to, the exercise of its functions. · s. 23 A council may do all such things as are supplemental or incidental to, or consequential on, the exercise of its functions.
Risk	The risk is deemed to be Low. The discontinuation of the MOU caused by either party removing themselves from the agreement or a change in direction resulting in ongoing impacts for the management of Bradfield City Centre and its benefits to the community. The risk is considered within Council’s risk appetite.

ATTACHMENTS

1. DRAFT Liverpool City Council and Bradfield Development Authority Strategic Governance Framework (Under separate cover)

2. Draft Memorandum of Understanding - Liverpool City Council and Bradfield Development Authority (Under separate cover) - Confidential

Governance Committee Meeting

13 May 2025

Strategic Priorities Committee Report

ITEM 02

Revised Media Policy

Strategic Objective	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Demonstrate a high standard of transparency and accountability through a comprehensive governance framework
File Ref	111666.2025
Report By	Kara Threlfo - Communications Team Lead
Approved By	Shayne Mallard - Director City Futures

Executive Summary

The purpose of this report is to present the draft revised Media Policy for consideration.

It is prepared in response to recommendations 1 & 2 of MAYOR 03 - Review of Media Policy adopted at the 26 February 2025 Council meeting, requiring that a draft revised Media Policy be prepared for Council’s consideration.

The Communications, Marketing and Brand department undertook a thorough review of the current Media Policy, which was adopted in 2020. This included comparisons with seven NSW Councils‘ Media and Social Media policies and incorporates material from the NSW Office of Local Government Model Media and Model Social Media Policies.

The re-draft collates traditional media, social media, interaction by the general public on Council social media outlets into one policy. Previously, these items were covered by separate policies and procedure guidelines.

The draft revised Media Policy takes a best practice approach as outlined in the Council Code of Conduct and clearly defines the roles, responsibilities, and standard of conduct expected from Council officials when engaging with traditional media and social media.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Adopt the revised Media Policy.

REPORT

The draft revised Media Policy has been prepared in response to recommendations 1 & 2 of MAYOR 03 - Review of Media Policy adopted at the 26 February 2025 Council meeting, shown below:

That Council:

1. Endorses a review of the Media Policy to incorporate the proposed amendments above.

2. Requests the CEO to prepare a draft revised Media Policy for Council’s consideration at a future meeting.

Following this resolution, the Communications, Marketing and Brand department undertook a thorough review of the current Media Policy, which was adopted in 2020. This included comparisons with the Media and Social Media policies of the following NSW Councils: Campbelltown City Council, Inner West Council, Penrith City Council, Tweed City Council, Waverley City Council, and Willoughby City Council.

The NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) has created a Model Media Policy and Social Media Policy, which provides a best practice approach for Councils. The revised draft Media Policy is based largely on these model policies. The attached draft Media Policy documents are colour coded to indicate extracts from the model codes.

There are a few additions to the Model policies that reflect the needs of Liverpool City Council.

Council’s Social Media Interaction Guidelines have been added at Attachment A to bring together related content into one place. The Social Media Interaction Guidelines were implemented in late 2024 and set out the expectations of Council and community use on official Council Social Media channels and pages.

The draft revised Media Policy also lists the criteria considered to warrant a ‘Fact Check’ social media post. Including these criteria has been done to publicly document the threshold required in the interests of transparency.

A section on photography has also been added to document the process and permissions required for taking and sharing photos and video on Council communication channels.

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	Promote community harmony and address discrimination.
Civic Leadership	Undertake communication practices with the community and stakeholders across a range of media. 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 Work Health and Safety Act 2011 No 10 Copyright Act 1968 Defamation Act 2005 No 77 Government Information and Privacy (GIPA) Act 2009 No 52 Privacy and Personal Information Act 1998 No 133 Liverpool City Council Code of Conduct Office of Local Government (OLG) NSW Model Media Policy 2022 and Model Code of Conduct for Local Councils in NSW 2020
Risk	The risk is deemed to be Low and is considered within Council’s risk appetite. Where an elected official or staff member does not adhere to the policy, resulting in a breach of Council’s Code of Conduct, the risk is deemed to be High.

ATTACHMENTS

1. LCC Media Policy adopted 29 July 2020

2. DRAFT Revised Media Policy 2025_clean

3. OLG Model Media Policy 2022

4. OLG Social Media Policy 2022 (Under separate cover)

5. Draft Revised Media Policy 2025_Marked Changes (Under separate cover)

6. Draft Revised Media Policy 2025_Extracts from Model Codes Highlighted

Governance Committee Meeting

13 May 2025

Strategic Priorities Committee Report

ITEM 03

Policy Review - Councillor Access to Information and Interaction with Staff Policy

Strategic Objective	Visionary, Leading, Responsible Demonstrate a high standard of transparency and accountability through a comprehensive governance framework
File Ref	150176.2025
Report By	M'Leigh Brunetta - Manager Civic & Executive Services
Approved By	Tina Bono - Director Community & Lifestyle

Executive Summary

The Councillor Access to Information and Interaction with Staff Policy is due for review in May 2025.

This report seeks to note the draft Policy which aligns to the Office of Local Government (OLG) Model code, including title name amendment, and proceed to consultation with a final report back to go to Council for endorsement.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Notes, the Draft Councillor and Staff Interaction Policy and supports the commencement of consultation;.

2. Notes, there is an opportunity for Mayor and Councillors to provide further feedback on the draft policy throughout the consultation period; and

3. Reports back to Council on final draft for endorsement.

REPORT

The Councillor Access to Information and Interaction with Staff Policy is due for review in May 2025.

The Office of Local Government has published a Model Councillor and Staff Interaction Policy (2022). Council has amended the draft Policy name from ‘Councillor Access to Information and Interaction with Staff Policy’ to ‘Councillor and Staff Interaction Policy’ to ensure a direct alignment to the OLG Model Code. The Policy has some structure changes to ensure a direct alignment to the Model Code and include details of Councillor access to information (although removed from title name).

The Policy primarily relates to Councillors, however as it provides the framework for the interaction with Council staff it is recommended that Council consultation with key internal stakeholders.

The Policy is required to go to a Council Meeting for formal adoption followed by implementation.

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	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. OLG - Model Councillor and Staff Interaction Policy (2022)

2. ENDORSED - Councillor Access to Information and Interaction with Staff Policy (2023)

Governance Committee Meeting

13 May 2025

Strategic Priorities Committee Report

ITEM 04

Improvement Recommendations – Community Drop-In Sessions

Strategic Objective	Healthy, Inclusive, Engaging Communicate, listen, engage and respond to the community by encouraging community participation
File Ref	150242.2025
Report By	Casey Walton - Community Engagement Officer
Approved By	Tina Bono - Director Community & Lifestyle

Executive Summary

In May 2024, Council introduced Community Drop-In Sessions, a program of centralised community engagement to offer a more personalised, one-on-one engagement and customer service experience for the Liverpool community. These sessions replaced the Liverpool District Forums.

Following a 12-month review of the program, including community feedback, continuous improvement recommendations have been made for the delivery of the Community Drop-In Sessions, which will enhance how Council engages with our diverse community.

The recommendations acknowledge that no ‘one box fits all’ for our diverse community, and are a result of investigating three different improvement streams:

• Maintain Community Drop-In Session model with improvements based off community feedback

• Investigate Mobile Office/pop-up opportunities in local shopping centres

• Investigate ways to increase our engagement online

The proposed improvements ultimately combine components off all three streams, with the overriding mantra: Meet our community where they are.

With the continuation of the Community Drop-In Sessions, the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Liverpool District Forum program can be dissolved. This dissolution is merely an administrative process and has no impact on the ongoing delivery of the Community Drop-In Sessions, or Council’s broader community engagement program.

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Receives and notes the recommended improvements and revisions to the Community Drop-In Session program; and

2. Dissolve the Liverpool District Forums Terms of Reference, noting this program has been superseded by the ongoing Community Drop-In Sessions.

REPORT

The Liverpool District Forums were established to develop and strengthen strong community bonds by ensuring ongoing dialogue between Council and the community about important matters affecting local communities, including those matters that affect the broader Liverpool LGA. The forums were structured into four districts, where local community members could come along to provide feedback and share their concerns on Council programs and activities.

The introduction of the Community Drop-In Sessions in 2024 supported a more localised approach to community engagement, focussed on engaging with residents in more concentrated localities to support more specific, tailored engagement for suburbs in Liverpool. As a result, the Liverpool District Forum program was superseded, and the endorsed Terms of Reference (ToR) is no longer required. This ToR, adopted in October 2019, can now be dissolved by resolution of Council. This dissolution is merely an administrative process and has no impact on the ongoing delivery of the Community Drop-In Sessions, or Council’s broader community engagement program.

Continuous business improvement recommendations for the Community Drop-In Sessions will be delivered via presentation at the Governance Meeting.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Recommendations, to be outlined in the presentation, include cost savings to Council based on reduced staffing requirements.

CONSIDERATIONS

Economic	There are no economic and financial considerations.
Environment	There are no environmental and sustainability considerations.
Social	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	There is no risk associated with this report.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Slideshow presentation to be distributed at Governance Committee Meeting.

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ITEM 02	Revised Media Policy
Attachment 1	LCC Media Policy adopted 29 July 2020

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ITEM 02	Revised Media Policy
Attachment 2	DRAFT Revised Media Policy 2025_clean

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ITEM 02	Revised Media Policy
Attachment 3	OLG Model Media Policy 2022

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ITEM 02	Revised Media Policy
Attachment 6	Draft Revised Media Policy 2025_Extracts from Model Codes Highlighted