Agenda of Council Meeting

Council Meeting

6 March 2019

Item No: C03/19-20

Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) - National General Assembly of Local Government

Responsible Division: Finance & Governance

Officer: Director Finance & Governance

File Number: HC-08-02-3/10

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Transparent and accountable leadership

Summary

The National General Assembly (NGA) of Local Government is the peak annual event for Local Government, organised by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). Councils may develop and submit motions for debate at the 2019 National General Assembly by 11:59pm on Friday 29 March 2019. The NGA provides Council with a valuable opportunity to influence the national policy agenda.

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Give consideration to nominating the Mayor and/or Councillor(s) to attend the 2019 National General Assembly of Local Government to be held in Canberra from 16 – 19 June 2019; and

2. Give consideration to submitting motion(s) to the 2019 National General Assembly of Local Government.

Report

The ALGA National General Assembly of Local Government will be held in Canberra from 16 – 19 June 2019. This peak event attracts in excess of 800 mayors and councillors each year, offering an opportunity for local government to engage directly with federal government.

The ALGA has called for councils to submit motions for debate at the annual event. All motions require, among other things, a contact officer, a clear national objective, a summary of the key arguments in support of the motion, and endorsement of council. Motions should be received no later than 11:59pm on Friday 29 March 2019.

There are strict guidelines on suitable motions for consideration, detailed in Attachment 1 ‘Call for Motions Discussion Paper 2019’ provided by the ALGA.

If Council is considering proposing a motion to be discussed at the National General Assembly, it should be aware that motions must meet the following criteria to be eligible for inclusion in the NGA Business Papers and subsequent debate on the floor of the NGA:

1. Be relevant to the work of local government nationally

2. Be consistent with the themes of the NGA

3. Complement or build on the policy objectives of your state and territory local government association

4. Be submitted by a council which is a financial member of their state or territory local government association

5. Propose a clear action and outcome

6. Not be advanced on behalf of external third parties that may seek to use the NGA to apply pressure to Board members or to gain national political exposure for positions that are not directly relevant to the work of, or in the national interests of, local government.

The costs associated with the event are as follows:

· Early bird registration (payment received by 10 May 2019) – $989.00

· Standard registration (payment received by 7 June 2019) – $1099.00

· Late registration (payment received on/after 7 June 2019) – $1199.00

· General Assembly Dinner – $140 per person

· Accommodation – $270 per night

Community Engagement

There are no consultation processes for Council associated with this report.

Policy Implications

Councillor attendance to the ALGA National General Assembly is included under the adopted Councillor Expenses and Facilities Policy, and is considered as Councillor professional development. Travel arrangements are to be made in accordance with the above Policy.

Risk Implications

There are no risk implications for Council associated with this report.

Financial Implications

Should Council proceed with sending representation to the ALGA National General Assembly, there is an appropriate allocation within the 2018/19 Elected Officials budget to fund this.

CONCLUSION

The ALGA’s National General Assembly 2019 is Australia’s largest gathering for Local Government involving mayors, councillors, chairs and officials.

The event also provides a unique opportunity for Local Government to engage directly with the Federal Government to develop national policy and influence the future direction of councils and communities.

Council is to consider and determine its participation in this event.

Attachments

1. National General Assembly of Local Government 2019 - Call for Motions Discussion Paper 2019 ⇩

2. ALGA National General Assembly - Registration Brochure ⇩

Council Meeting

6 March 2019

Item No: C03/19-22

Response to Notice of Motion - Ramadan Street Food Event

Responsible Division: Community Development

Officer: Director Community Development

File Number: T005817/2019

Community Strategic Plan Goal: A great place to live

Summary

This report provides a response to the Notice of Motion - Ramadan Street Food Event resolved at the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 7 November 2018 (Min.339, Item C11/18-221).

The report presents location assessments, including challenges and opportunities in relation to holding the Ramadan Street Food Event in 2019 in the Town Centres of Auburn, Granville or Guildford alongside the findings of community and stakeholder engagement undertaken for the development of this report.

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Deliver a one night Ramadan Street Food Event in the Auburn Town Centre as part of Council’s Events Program 2018/19.

2. Reallocate $50,000 within the approved 2018/19 budget to deliver the event as part of the Quarter 2 Budget Review process (from the Iftar Dinner budget and unspent funds from Council’s Staff Functions and Activities budget).

3. Approve the associated road closures for the event, subject to the concurrence of the Traffic Committee.

4. Apply a 50% discount to the adopted Event Stall Hire Fees and Charges for the Ramadan Street Food Event in 2019.

Report

At the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 7 November 2018, Council considered the Notice of Motion - Ramadan Street Food Event, and resolved that (Min. 339, Item C11/18-221):

“1. Council pilot the delivery of a one or two night (dependent on financial implications) Ramadan Street Food Event at a suitable location in the Cumberland LGA (whether in the first instance Guildford, Auburn, Granville or any other location in the Cumberland LGA) in lieu of the Iftar Dinner as part of Council’s Cultural Events Program in 2019.

2. Council engage with local businesses, community organisations, Muslim religious leaders and members of Council’s Events Advisory Committee to inform event planning.

3. A report be returned to Council outlining the location and funding source for the event.”

Alignment with the Cumberland Events Strategy

The Cumberland Events Strategy 2017-2019 outlines five key outcome areas for Council events. The proposed Ramadan Street Food Event aligns with all five outcome areas, which include:

1. Activate our places by renewing and bringing to life the personality of our public places and neighbourhoods, creating vibrant entertainment precincts that make Cumberland a great place to live and visit.

2. Celebrate our community by enhancing our unique community identity, recognising our diversity as our strength, actively welcoming people to the area and engaging people in community activity to promote a sense of belonging.

3. Engage and connect residents by creating new connections and a shared understanding between people to bring us together as one community.

4. Build a positive profile by promoting a positive image of Cumberland and its people through showcasing it as a place with unique cultural experiences and assets that attract visitors and create local economic development opportunities.

5. Promote partnership by working collaboratively with community, business and other key stakeholders to develop productive relationships that add value and generate benefits for the community.

Community Demographics

Cumberland is one of the most religiously diverse local government areas in NSW with over 25 different religions practiced by members of the local community.

The Ramadan Street Food Event, as with Council’s existing cultural events (such as Lunar New Year, Diwali and Christmas), aims to provide an opportunity to bring together all members of the community to promote a shared understanding and sense of belonging, interfaith dialogue, community harmony and social inclusion within Cumberland’s diverse community.

According to the 2016 Census, 47,286 residents in the Cumberland Local Government Area (21.9% of all people in Cumberland) nominated their religion as Islam (ABS, Census 2016). This varies across Cumberland, with the demographics of the three locations being considered as follows:

Suburb	Number of residents who follow Islam	% of suburb who follow Islam	Total residents per suburb
Auburn	15,970	42.8%	37,383
Granville	2,355	22.0%	10,735
Guildford	7,470	33.7%	22,160

While this event is intended for the whole community, its success will depend on ensuring that there is a critical mass of community members likely to attend.

Methodology

Council undertook engagement with local businesses, community organisations, Muslim religious leaders and members of Council’s Events and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Advisory Committees to inform this report. This engagement was conducted via site visits, face to face engagement, phone interviews and a Committee meeting.

Council also undertook site assessments of each location, and consultation with Council officers at the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council and Police from the Auburn and Cumberland Police Area Commands to inform event planning.

A total of 165 community members have been consulted in the development of this report. Findings have informed the report recommendations and preliminary event planning.

Consultation with the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council

Council’s Events team met with Council officers at the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council in December 2018 to understand key learnings from the Lakemba Ramadan Food Festival.

This consultation indicated considerable differences between the Ramadan Street Food Event under consideration in Cumberland and the well-established one-month long event held in Haldon Street, Lakemba. The key learnings, however, are considered transferable for event planning in Cumberland.

The Lakemba Ramadan Food Festival has been running for over ten years and developed organically from the naturally occurring Ramadan activity of local businesses in the Haldon Street area. The Council’s first involvement in the food festival was not in a delivery role, but commenced around 2014 due to increasing involvement in relation to compliance, risk management and regulation of the commercial activity occurring during Ramadan.

This year marks the first year that the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council’s Events team is playing a direct and lead coordination role in the Lakemba Ramadan Food Festival. This includes coordinating logistics, traffic control, risk management and environmental health compliance.

Access to prayer areas is not provided as part of the Lakemba Ramadan Food Festival.

Location Assessments

Assessment of a total of three town centre locations - Auburn, Granville and Guildford has been undertaken as potential sites for the pilot of a one-night Cumberland Ramadan Street Food Event. A two-night Ramadan Street Food Event was not considered due to cost, the short lead time to plan and the sustained impact of road closures on these town centres. Further locations were not considered due to the resourcing required to undertake additional site assessments and community engagement within the time available.

The following provides a summary of the outcomes of the site assessments and consultations undertaken for each location considered for the event.

Auburn Town Centre

Site Overview

The proposed event site, if the event was held in the Auburn Town Centre, is Auburn Road, Auburn (see site map below, showing event location and the required road closures of part of Auburn Road and Mary Street, Auburn).

Location Challenges

Road closures would be required to facilitate the one night pilot of this event in the Auburn Town Centre, presenting some logistical challenges and impacts on local residents and business. Cumberland Council’s Traffic and Events teams possess considerable historical and recent experience in implementing road closures in the Auburn Town Centre.

Of the 52 Auburn Town Centre businesses surveyed in preparation of this report, 46 provided direct comments on positive and negative impacts the event may have on their businesses. Ten businesses indicated that the event would potentially have negative impacts on their business citing traffic, parking and access issues, whilst 36 businesses indicated that the event would cause little to no impact or issues for their business.

Location Opportunities

Auburn is a diverse area with many people from different cultures already living in or visiting Auburn, and a local concentration of places of worship across the Auburn area, including the landmark Auburn Gallipoli Mosque. The proximity of the Auburn Town Centre to local prayer rooms and mosques represents a strong opportunity to attract people observing Ramadan from immediately nearby to the event.

Auburn is well serviced by public transport. The multi-level Susan Street Car Park also provides a high level of accessibility to the event if travelling by car, reducing the impact and pressure on local kerbside parking.

Similar to the City of Canterbury Bankstown’s experience in Lakemba, Auburn features a high level of existing Ramadan-based activity with a large number of businesses already extending trading hours and/or serving food tailored to the Muslim community during Ramadan.

Auburn is recognised (along with Granville) as a distinctive dining and night-time precinct in the Greater Sydney Commission Central City District Plan, reinforcing the opportunity to capitalise on Auburn’s night time economy with a night time Ramadan Street Food Event.

The food-focussed event would also complement and build on the existing network of community organisations and local businesses involved in Council’s Flavours of Auburn food tours and cooking classes (a cultural destination tourism initiative focussed on the area’s diverse cuisine). Flavours of Auburn tours feature local guides leading food tours throughout Auburn based Middle Eastern, Asian and Turkish food businesses. These networks and the existing profile of Auburn as a food destination provides a strong opportunity for Council to expand upon the Flavours of Auburn initiative in the development of the Ramadan Street Food Event if held in Auburn.

Community Feedback

Auburn received the highest level of support in Council’s survey of Muslim community leaders/organisations, with 63% of respondents indicating the Auburn Town Centre as their preferred location for the Ramadan Street Food Event. It is noted, however, that Auburn was the most highly represented location base of the respondent organisations/individuals in this survey with 47% of respondents based in Auburn.

Council’s Events Committee feedback supports Auburn Road as an appropriate location for this event. Committee members noted Auburn’s existing night time activity, accessibility, and large Muslim community.

Events Committee feedback also noted that Auburn (or Granville) will attract more attendees due to ease of access, including well connected public transport. Events Committee feedback further highlighted that Auburn (or Granville) feature attractions and activity, providing an improved likelihood for repeat visitors post the event.

The majority of members (60% or 6 out of 10) of Council’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Committee recommended Auburn as the most suitable location for the Ramadan Street Food Event. The reasons stated were: Auburn has a diverse multicultural community and a large number of Muslim residents living in the area, Auburn Road has the busiest main street and lots of food shops, it is accessible and in close proximity to many mosques to enable people to attend the event after prayers.

Business Feedback

A total of 52 businesses in the Auburn Town Centre participated in the Ramadan consultation survey, 13 of these (25%) were food related businesses.

Business engagement documented existing Ramadan-related business activity, with a total of 8 businesses either extending trading hours and/or serving food tailored to the Muslim community during Ramadan and/or extending trading onto the footpath.

Business engagement indicates that the local business community will be a positive supporter of this event. The majority (41 or 80%) of Auburn businesses surveyed indicated that they support the event overall. The main reasons stated were: It was good for the community; it was good for business, would provide more exposure to the area and attract more customers; it is a multicultural area with a large Muslim community and a good event to celebrate local culture.

Two businesses (4%) were not supportive of the event being held and 8 businesses (16%) were neutral. The main reasons stated were traffic or parking issues or it was not relevant to their business. Comparative to all other locations assessed, these responses indicated that Auburn businesses offered the highest level of support overall, and the lowest level of detraction overall.

Overall Assessment

The Auburn Town Centre features good accessibility in terms of transport and parking and a streetscape suitable for the required road closure. Auburn has a well-recognised, distinctive night time and dining environment, existing food destination profile and Council has an existing cultural/cuisine tourism program to build upon to market the event. There is strong business support for the event and there is existing business trading relevant to Ramadan. The high number of local residents who observe Ramadan and proximity of the Auburn Town Centre to local prayer rooms and mosques represents a strong opportunity to attract people observing Ramadan from immediately nearby to the event.

Granville Town Centre

Site Overview

The proposed event site, if the event was held in the Granville Town Centre, is South Street, Granville (see site map below, showing event location and the required road closures of part of South Street and Russell Street, Granville).

Location Challenges

Road closures would be required to facilitate the one night pilot of this event in the Granville Town Centre, presenting some logistical challenges and impacts on local residents and business.

South Street presents particular challenges due to the width and conditions of the roadway. The presence of traffic and pedestrian management design features such as kerbside fencing and a wide median strip with tree plantings present logistic challenges for infrastructure placement, event operations and pedestrian flow. South Street also has less available floor space when compared with any other proposed location for this event.

Of the 30 Granville Town Centre businesses surveyed in preparation of this report, 26 provided direct comment on positive and negative impacts the event may have on their business. Nine businesses cited parking issues as having potentially negative impacts on their business, whilst 16 businesses indicated it would have no impact or issues on their business, and 1 provided no comment.

Location Opportunities

The Granville Town Centre is highly accessible with two dedicated car parking areas adjacent to the town centre and good public transport accessibility. The town centre is serviced by rail and bus, which would provide for improved access to the event in this location, reducing the impact and pressure on local kerbside parking.

Granville features some existing Ramadan-based activity and is recognised (along with Auburn) as a distinctive dining and night-time precinct in the Greater Sydney Commission Central City District Plan. This provides an opportunity to capitalise on Granville’s night time economy and existing food destination profile with a night time Ramadan Street Food Event.

Community Feedback

Muslim community organisation and religious leader input indicates that Granville Town Centre has five different prayer rooms, representing a good opportunity to attract people observing Ramadan from immediately nearby to the event.

Events Committee feedback also noted that Granville (or Auburn) will attract more attendees due to ease of access, including well connected public transport. Events Committee feedback further highlighted that Granville (or Auburn) feature attractions and activity, providing an improved likelihood for repeat visitors post the event.

Twenty six percent of respondents to Council’s survey of Muslim community leaders/organisations indicated Granville as their preferred location for the Ramadan Street Food Event. It is noted, however, that 11% of respondents were based in Granville.

One member (10% or 1 out of 10) of Council’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Committee recommended Granville as the most suitable location for the Ramadan Street Food Event. The reasons stated were: Granville is central and has an existing active night life and a large number of Muslim residents living in the area.

Business Feedback

A total of 30 businesses in the Granville Town Centre participated in the Ramadan consultation survey, 10 of these (33%) were food related businesses.

Business engagement documented existing Ramadan-related business activity, indicating that the Granville Town Centre has the lowest level of existing Ramadan-based activity of all locations assessed. A total of 5 businesses either extend trading hours and/or serve food tailored to the Muslim community during Ramadan and/or extend trading onto the footpath.

Business engagement indicates that the local business community will be a positive supporter of this event. The majority (23 or 77%) of the 30 Granville Town Centre businesses surveyed indicated that they support the event overall. The main reasons stated were: It was good for the community; good for business and would provide more exposure to the area and attract more customers.

Compared to all locations assessed, Granville businesses are the least interested in participating in on street activity for the event, with 3 food businesses expressing an interest in participating on the street. This result is low in comparison to other locations assessed (7 businesses in Auburn Town Centre and 10 businesses in Guildford Town Centre expressed interest in participating in on street activity for the event). This indicates a limited willingness of local traders to contribute to the intended event experience of ‘on-street’ food offerings.

Two businesses (7%) were not supportive of the event and 5 businesses (17%) were neutral. The main reasons stated were parking issues or it was not relevant to their business.

Overall Assessment

Granville is a centrally located and well established food destination with an existing night time economy. There is strong business support for the event. Survey results indicate that local trading is currently limited in terms of existing trading specific to Ramadan. The close proximity of the Granville Town Centre to local prayer rooms and mosques represents a strong opportunity to attract people observing Ramadan from immediately nearby to the event. Granville’s most suitable site location, South Street, presents major logistical challenges in terms of its narrow roadway width which presents pedestrian flow and safety concerns.

Other sites within the Granville Town Centre, namely the Granville Town Hall Car Park and Railway Parade, were also explored but were not deemed suitable due to significant traffic and parking impacts.

Guildford Town Centre

Site Overview

The proposed event site, if the event was held in the Guildford Town Centre, is Guildford Road, Guildford (see site map following showing event location and the required road closures of part of Guildford Road, Guildford).

Location Challenges

Compared to other suitable locations assessed in Auburn and Granville, Guildford Town Centre is the least established and known as a food destination.

Consultation about the event indicates that local businesses in Guildford, compared to other locations assessed, are the most resistant overall to participating in the event if external food operators are participating in the event. This presents a challenge to Council’s Events team in trying to attract and import appropriate food providers to the area during Ramadan for a first year event and in an area not already established as a food destination without a firmly established night-time economy. This will likely impact on the scale and success of the Ramadan Street Food pilot event.

Road closures would be required to facilitate the one night pilot of this event in the Guildford Town Centre which would have some impact on local residents and businesses.

Of the 46 Guildford Town Centre businesses surveyed, 11 businesses cited traffic, parking and access as having potentially negative impacts on their business, whilst 28 businesses indicated it would have no impact or issues on their business, and 7 were neutral or provided no comment.

Location Opportunities

The proposed event site supports an efficient road closure of Guildford Road with a wide unimpeded road.

As a local centre with a lower overall flow of traffic compared to the Town Centres of Auburn and Granville, Guildford’s existing traffic and parking conditions are more conducive to accommodating road closures without significant impacts on parking and congestion. Pedestrian flow and crowd management would also be more favourable in this location.

Guildford Town Centre is also in close proximity to at least three local mosques.

Piloting this event in Guildford provides a positive opportunity for event-based activation of the Guildford area.

Community Feedback

Feedback from Cumberland’s Events Committee includes consideration of the Guildford Town Centre as a possible event location due to the absence of other major events and activity in the area.

Twenty six percent of respondents to Council’s survey of Muslim community leaders/organisations indicated Guildford as their preferred location for the Ramadan Street Food Event. It is noted, however, that 11% of respondents were based in Guildford.

Feedback from Muslim community organisations and religious leaders also highlighted Guildford’s accessibility, the large demographic of Muslim people living locally, and the presence of a number of local prayer rooms, as factors supporting Guildford Town Centre as the potential event location for the Ramadan Street Food Event.

One member (10% or 1 out of 10) of Council’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Committee recommended Guildford as the most suitable location for the Ramadan Street Food Event. The reasons stated were: Guildford has more parking spaces and unlike the other locations, Guildford does not have any festivals and would benefit from an event being held in the area.

Business Feedback

A total of 46 businesses in the Guildford Town Centre participated in the Ramadan consultation survey, 20 of these (44%) were food related businesses.

Business engagement indicates that the local business community will be a positive supporter of this event. Twenty three (77%) of Guildford Town Centre businesses indicated that they support the event overall. The main reasons stated were: It is good for business, will provide more exposure to the area and attract more customers, it is good for the community, it is a multicultural area with a large Muslim community and the event celebrates the local diversity.

Three (7%) of businesses were not supportive of the event and 13 (28%) were neutral. The main reasons stated were: Loss of business because of the road closure; it is a religious festival; it should be held elsewhere and not in Guildford; previous local events caused problems or it was not relevant to their business.

Overall Assessment

Business engagement indicates a high level of existing Ramadan-related business activity and strong support for the event as it will assist in activating a quiet town centre. Community engagement also supports consideration of the Guildford Town Centre as a possible event site for the Ramadan Street Food Event due to the absence of other major events and activity in the area.

The proximity of Guildford Town Centre to local mosques represents a strong opportunity to attract people observing Ramadan from immediately nearby to the event.

Guildford’s site presents fewer logistical challenges from an event delivery perspective. Unlike the other sites, it is not an established and well known food destination and local business resistance to bringing in appropriate food vendors will present challenges that will likely impact the scale and success of the event as a food festival in its pilot year.

Other Factors for Consideration

The proposed date and time of the event is Saturday 18 May 2019 from 5pm to 9pm. This allows minimal lead-in time to undertake event planning and promotion, engagement of food stall holders and to meet the requirements involved in developing a traffic management plan and obtain approval from the Traffic Committee for the required road closures.

Based on the limited lead time for the event and the anticipated challenges in attracting food stallholders to a first time food festival event, it is recommended that Council adopt reduced stall holder fees and charges for the Ramadan Street Food Event in 2019. This will assist in encouraging local businesses and other food traders to participate in the event and mitigate the potential for low numbers of food providers.

The following table outlines the Event Stall Hire fees prescribed in Council’s adopted 2018/19 Fees and Charges Schedule and the proposed fees recommended for adoption for the 2019 Ramadan Street Food Event.

Event Stall Hire - Fee name	Adopted 2018/2019 Fee (Incl. GST)	Proposed 2019 Ramadan Street Food Event Fee (Incl. GST)
3m x 3m erected cooking stall with flooring, 2 trestle tables, mesh walls, sneeze guards	$369.00	$184.50
3m x 3m space only	$123.00	$ 61.50
3m x 6m space only	$133.00	$ 66.50
3m x 9m space only	$250.00	$125.00

A further factor for consideration in the preparation of this report has been the perception of greater events activity in Auburn as well as the lack of events or activity in Granville and Guildford. This factor was outweighed by event planning considerations that will influence the success of the Ramadan Street Food Event being a first time event.

Based on the site assessments, community and stakeholder engagement findings, Council staff event planning expertise and experience, and the short lead time to plan and market the event, the Auburn Town Centre is recommended as the preferred location for the Ramadan Street Food Event in its pilot year. Council could consider one of the alternative locations listed in this report as a potential site for the Ramadan Street Food Event in the following year due to a longer planning timeframe.

A review of Council’s Community Events Program 2018/2019 is currently underway and provides an opportunity to consider an improved spread of events across Cumberland. Opportunities to activate Guildford and Granville will also be explored through the Cumberland Local Festival and through Council’s Draft Cultural Plan currently in development.

Community Engagement

Council has consulted with local businesses, community organisations, Muslim religious leaders/community organisations and members of Council’s Events and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Advisory Committees to inform this report.

Community engagement activities included:

· Council’s Events Committee was consulted on 15 November 2018.

· Town Centre businesses were consulted via face to face engagement coordinated by Council’s Business Engagement Coordinator, utilising a standardised survey instrument from 10 to 13 December 2018. 128 businesses participated.

· Interviews were conducted with local community leaders and organisations of the Islamic faith utilising a standardised survey instrument between December 2018 and February 2019. 31 organisations were contacted and 19 interviews were conducted.

· Council Officers at the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council were consulted regarding event logistics and planning considerations in December 2018.

· Council’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Advisory Committee members were consulted between 18 and 25 February 2019.

In addition, Police from the Auburn and Cumberland Police Area Commands were consulted between December 2018 and February 2019 and noted no major concerns regarding the Ramadan Street Food Event. Police identified the need for a traffic management plan, timely notification and liaison with local businesses and the use of user pay Police to help with crowd control and traffic duties for each location.

Policy Implications

The proposed Ramadan Street Food Event aligns with the Cumberland Events Strategy which provides a strategic framework to ensure Council’s Events Program reflects the unique identity of Cumberland, celebrates its diversity as a strength and meets a range of outcome areas and related measures.

Risk Implications

The risks for Council related to the delivery of this pilot event within the 2018/19 Events Program include: The short lead time to plan and market the event; Poor take up by food stall vendors given it is a first time event; Competition with other events, including the Lakemba Ramadan Food Festival; and potential wet/cold weather as the event will be held in May 2019.

The need to attract and bring in appropriate food vendors may impact the scale and success of the event as a food festival in its pilot year. A discounted food stall hire fee has been proposed for the event to mitigate this risk.

Depending on the site location determined by Council, particularly if not an established and well known food destination, a concerted marketing campaign for this event will be required.

Financial Implications

The estimated costs associated with the delivery of a one night Ramadan Street Food Event include:

Item	Estimated Cost
Event Infrastructure	$15,000
Traffic, Security and User Pays Police	$11,100
Lighting	$12,000
Staff	$4,900
Promotion and Marketing	$7,000
TOTAL	$50,000 (inc. GST)

Funds of $50,000 to deliver the one night event can be reallocated from within the approved 2018/19 budget as part of the Quarter 2 Budget Review process by utilising the existing Iftar Dinner budget ($15,000) and unspent funds from Council’s Staff Functions and Activities budget ($35,000).

Given the budget constraints, any unforeseen costs related to the delivery of the event may impact the overall budget position of the Events Program for this financial year.

A two night Ramadan Street Food Event was considered cost prohibitive in consideration of the available budget.

CONCLUSION

This report provides a response to the ‘Notice of Motion - Ramadan Street Food Event’ and recommends that Council deliver a one night Ramadan Street Food Event in the Auburn Town Centre as part of Council’s Events Program 2018/19.

This recommendation is based on the site assessments and community engagement findings outlined in this report as well as Council staff event planning expertise and consideration of the short lead time to plan and market the Ramadan Street Food Event in its pilot year.

Of the locations assessed, the Auburn Town Centre offers the highest level of existing Ramadan-related business activity, the highest level of local business support and the greatest diversity of local food businesses. The high number of local residents who observe Ramadan and proximity of the Auburn Town Centre to local prayer rooms and mosques represents a strong opportunity to attract local residents observing Ramadan to the event. The Auburn Town Centre’s accessibility in terms of transport and parking coupled with its distinctive night time dining activity and existing food destination profile also present a strong opportunity to attract people from across Cumberland and from outside the Local Government Area to the event.

Finally, Council has pre-established networks with community organisations and food businesses located in the Auburn Town Centre as a result of its existing cultural/cuisine tourism program, the Flavours of Auburn, which can be built upon to support local collaboration and marketing in the further development of the event.

Attachments

Nil

Council Meeting

6 March 2019

Item No: C03/19-24

Development of a Greystanes Skate Park

Responsible Division: Works & Infrastructure

Officer: Director Works & Infrastructure

File Number: HC-20-02-15

Community Strategic Plan Goal: A great place to live

Summary

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the Greystanes skate park development program and to seek Council endorsement for a variation to the Council resolution of 2 August 2017 concerning the construction of the skate park in Bathurst Street Greystanes.

Recommendation

That Council endorse Darling Street Park as the preferred location for the Greystanes skate park and continue community consultation on the detailed design and final location of the skate park within Darling Street Park.

Report

Background

Council under Administration at its Ordinary Meeting of 3 May 2017 considered a report on the need for a neighbourhood scale skate park in the Greystanes area (Min 82 Item 054/17) and subsequently resolved to:

“1. Endorse the need for a neighbourhood scale skate park in the Greystanes area and confirm its location at one of the three sites - Bathurst Street Park, Greystanes Sportsground or Dirrabari Reserve preferred by the site assessment study

2. Endorse phase 2 of the development programme which will include further

community engagement and facility design as detailed in this report.

3. Include funding of $572,000 within the 2017/18 annual budget to fund a skate

park in or close to the Greystanes catchment.

4. Submit an application to the Community Building Partnerships Grant programme for $50,000.”

In response to this resolution, Council officers commissioned a background study – Greystanes Skate Facility Planning and Concept design Study 2017, to identify skate park needs and opportunities across Cumberland in order to provide the necessary planning context for the Greystanes proposal.

Subsequently, community engagement was conducted from 8 June to 16 July 2017 to obtain community feedback on the preferred location for the skate park based on the three sites proposed in Greystanes-Bathurst Street Park, Greystanes Sportsground and Dirrabari Reserve.

This community engagement resulted in the preparation of a report that was submitted to Council’s Ordinary Meeting of 2 August 2017 recommending Council endorse Bathurst Street Park as the preferred location for the skate park and Council resolved (Min 193 Item 130/17) to:

1. Confirm Bathurst Street Park as the preferred location for the skate park and continue community consultation on the detailed design of the project.

2. Subject to confirmation of $50,000 from the NSW Government Community building partnership, the General Manager be authorised to submit a Development Application for independent assessment and following determination to call tenders as appropriate.

In response to this resolution Council continued community consultation and submitted a grant application to the Community Building Partnership grant programme

In December 2017, Council was advised that the Community Building Partnership (CBP) grant was unsuccessful, but also received feedback that the grant application should be resubmitted in the future and cited concerns around the site location as one of the reasons for the unsuccessful application.

As a result of failing to secure the CBP grant, Council’s resolution of 2 August 2017 was deemed to have not met the condition precedent and the skate park project was deferred pending further investigation and a further briefing to Council.

Feedback from the grant application process, key stakeholders in Bathurst Street Park and the community raised some concerns regarding the original choice of the Bathurst Street site. In response to this, officers were subsequently requested by Council to review the original site assessment. This review identified a potential additional and suitable location for the skate park in Darling Street Park (adjacent to Beresford Road Public School).

Darling Street Park had been included in the original site locations assessed but the site location review highlighted an alternate placement within the park. This alternate location was also verified as suitable by an assessment undertaken by the original design consultants used to verify the Bathurst Street site.

Consultation

In response to community feedback received by Council regarding the initial choice of Bathurst Street Park and in order to determine whether the community still supported the proposal for a skate park as well as in which park it should be situated in Greystanes, Council officers undertook further community engagement during October and November 2018. This consultation included a community forum on 10 November 2018 and an online survey through Council’s “Have your Say” page.

The forum and survey assessed support for sites in Bathurst Street Park, the alternate location in Darling Street Park (adjacent to Beresford Road Public School), Dirrabari Reserve and Greystanes Sportsground.

The results of this engagement were that the forum (14 people) supported Bathurst Street Park as the ‘best location for the skate park’ rating it as number one preference in location.

The online Survey identified the majority of participants (26 of 34 respondents) supported a new skate park with Darling Street Park as the preferred location with 10 of 34 respondents (30% of participants) selecting it as the preference. Seven out of the 34 (20%) selected Bathurst Street Park and seven selected Greystanes Reserve with only 2 out of 34 (6%) selecting Dirrabarri Reserve.

Council also received a petition opposing Greystanes Sportsground from 30 local residents.

Alternate Locations

In response to community and Council feedback Council officers also explored the following alternate locations using the same suitability criteria that were applied to the earlier sites by external consultants:

- Civic Park, Pendle Hill

- CV Kelly Park

- Gipps Road Sportsground

- Girraween Park

- Harold Read Park

- Pendle Hill Park

Civic Park presented as a highly rated location for the placement of a Skate Park. However due to the already high activity for community use and events and thoroughfare to the railway station, the addition of such a facility would mean possible over-crowding and disrupt current usage of the reserve. Further activation is not recommended at this location.

CV Kelly Park presented several locations suitably sized for a skate park. The location at the rear of the clubhouse would unfortunately have very little surveillance from surrounding streets, and the front area appears utilised for overflow parking and events. Priority of this area’s use would need to be considered. Alternate possibilities may involve adjusting the placement of the existing playground and parking. Access to amenities at this site is also restricted as they are locked within the clubhouse compound. A skate park is not recommended at this location.

Girraween Park contains a suitably sized area for a skate park facility, however it is close to the residential areas and lacks surrounding surveillance despite pedestrian traffic through the park. A skate park is not recommended at this location.

Harold Read Park and Pendle Hill Park - both lack a suitably sized area for a skate park facility. Harold Read Park rated the lowest in the assessment with limited surveillance to the area, limited parking, close proximity to residential areas and no pedestrian access with low visitation. A skate park is not recommended at these locations

Overall the highest scoring new site assessed was the Gipps Road Sporting Complex. This venue rated high in the criteria required with suitable infrastructure to support the facility. However, it should be noted that this site is more suitable for a regional / district level facility rather than a local/neighbourhood facility due to the distance from residential areas.

Darling Street Park, (adjacent to the Beresford Road Public School) was determined to be the best site in Greystanes for a neighbourhood skate park. It is close to a main road, Beresford Road, with public transport, has a small car park, amenities and will not displace existing sports use.

During the site assessment phase the Darling Street site was ranked by both an internal Council officer assessment and by the external skate park design consultants engaged by Council, as highly suitable. Furthermore during the community engagement phase Darling Street was the preferred location for a skate park for those who participated the online survey. Subsequent discussion with the Community Building Partnership grant representatives have indicated that they would support a Council resolution to construct the facility in Darling Street Park.

Cumberland has two existing neighbourhood skate parks – Wyatt Park in Lidcombe and Granville Park. A third neighbourhood skate park in Greystanes would provide a reasonable geographic spread of facilities for wheeled sports participants across the Cumberland LGA.

As proposed in feedback from the initial CBP grant process a second application was submitted for a skate park in Greystanes and notification of a successful application for a Community Building Partnership grant for $50,000 was received on 19 November 2018.

Community Engagement

Members of the community who have been involved in community engagement activities for this project from 2017 to the present, have been informed of this report to Council. Another round of community engagement will be undertaken in relation to the detailed design of the skate park once the final site is approved by Council.

Policy Implications

Community engagement will be undertaken which is consistent with Council’s Community Engagement Policy.

Risk Implications

There has been considerable community engagement undertaken for this project. In addition, if a site in Greystanes for a skate park is not approved in the short term, the $50,000 CBP grant will need to be declined or returned.

Financial Implications

There are currently no funds identified for a skate park in Greystanes in Council’s Capital Works Program for 18/19 and 19/20. However, grant matched funding of $50,000 (to match the CBP grant) is included in the draft 2019/20 Annual Budget.

CONCLUSION

A second application was submitted for a skate park in Greystanes and notification of a successful application for a Community Building Partnership grant for $50,000 was received on 19 November 2018. This means that Council has now met the condition precedent for the original Council resolution to construct a local scale skate park in Greystanes.

As a result of sustained and extensive positive and negative community feedback regarding the choice of Bathurst Street Park as the preferred location, Council officers have revisited the community consultation undertaken in the original concept proposal and are recommending that a new site in Darling Street Park be endorsed by Council as the preferred location for the Greystanes skate park.

This reports seeks Council’s endorsement of this recommendation and approval to undertake the detailed design necessary to construct the neighbourhood scale skate park in Darling Street Park, Greystanes.

Attachments

Nil

Council Meeting

6 March 2019

Item No: C03/19-25

Condition of Local Goverment Area

Responsible Division: Works & Infrastructure

Officer: Director Works & Infrastructure

File Number: P-02-01/04

Community Strategic Plan Goal: A clean and green community

Summary

This report has been prepared in response to a Council resolution, and seeks to provide Council with information on the current presentation and condition of the Local Government Area (LGA) along with the factors which have impacted Council’s routine maintenance programs throughout the summer period.

The report also provides Council with a number of proactive measures currently being implemented to address feedback raised. These measures ensure that Council’s public domain and parks maintenance activities continue to provide a level of service and response which is consistent with the community’s expectations.

Recommendation

That Council receive and note the report.

Report

Background

Council at its Ordinary Meeting of 6 February 2019 considered a Matter of Urgency regarding the Condition of the Local Government Area (Min 418) and subsequently resolved as follows:

“1. That the General Manager provide a report to Council in relation to the unkept condition of the Local Government Area with respect to parks, footpaths, verges, etc.”

Council is currently adequately resourced to provide proactive and reactive streetscape and park maintenance services in non-peak periods, which are typically between the months of March and November. Council’s peak periods are typically between the months of December and February each year, when warm weather coincides with rainfall to create accelerated vegetation growth.

The current model of service delivery provides the most optimal and cost effective service to our community throughout the majority of the year. It is noted however in peak periods of demand, the capacity of Council’s maintenance programs within all open space and streetscape often become burdened by additional volumes of requests from the community.

Current Situation

During the summer period of 2018/19, the Cumberland LGA has been subjected to unusual weather conditions which have resulted in high volume and frequent rain events followed by very warm temperatures. These conditions have seen the rate of vegetation growth exceed normal growth patterns, with passive parks requiring two weekly maintenance visits and sportsgrounds requiring weekly visits.

Regular storm events including major storms in December and early February have also placed additional pressure on Council resourcing, with flooding reported at some sportsgrounds and parks. In addition, responding to a high number of tree related issues within the public domain following these storm events has placed further pressure on Council’s resourcing. This is evident from the volumes of customer service requests requiring action following the most recent storm event. Council typically receives up to 45 customer initiated parks and tree requests in a week. Following the recent February storm, Council received 302 requests for support in a single week.

In relation to staffing levels, Council’s parks and streetscape teams ordinarily operate at approximately 90% complement of staff. Due to a number of vacancies prior to the Christmas period, these positions were unable to be recruited until mid to late January.

During this same period, Council also experienced some significant equipment failures in key pieces of major equipment, which were unable to be repaired in a timely manner over this period. Also, one of Council’s main verge maintenance contractors in Auburn terminated their contract with Council, citing their inability to resource staff as the main factor for ceasing works.

As a result of the above combination of factors, Council was unable to meet the maintenance schedule through December and early January, thus creating a backlog of maintenance requests to work through.

Council did approach external contractors to assist with this schedule backlog during this period, however was unsuccessful in sourcing a contractor who could take on the high volume, short term nature of the works required in this instance.

Future Provision

Proactive measures and remedial actions (which are cost effective and complement the existing maintenance activities) will now be put into place to ensure that Council can adequately accommodate seasonal variances.

These measures include a proposed allocation of an additional $1 million towards the funding of additional staff resourcing, which will improve Council’s ability to respond to any future seasonal variances. This will extend Council’s service reach to ensure the public domain is managed and maintained in accordance with the community’s expectations.

These additional staff will operate primarily as ward based crews, and will also work proactively on the key transport routes throughout the LGA as well as the high volume areas that require a more regular service schedule. The availability of ward based maintenance crews will also provide additional rapid response capabilities for critical and urgent maintenance activities.

Further proactive measures being introduced include the implementation of new maintenance structures. This will ensure the daily presentation of the areas within the road reserves, parks and open space are the responsibility of single service units and will create clear lines of reporting and improve overall accountability.

Remedial measures include continuing to recruit staff to key vacancies within the Parks areas. Negotiations have been completed, which has led to one of Council’s existing verge contractors undertaking the workload surrendered by the previous contractor. Council has also been able to restore its park maintenance plant back to full working capacity. Furthermore, Council has identified and will be acquiring additional high speed mowing tractors for the larger open space areas, and will also be purchasing specialised maintenance equipment that can be utilised on RMS and high traffic roads without the level of traffic control previously required.

Negotiations are also commencing with staff in relation to the timing of annual leave over the Christmas period, and Council is confident that moving forward there will be adequate resourcing rostered during the Christmas and New Year period.

Community Engagement

There are no community engagement processes required for Council associated with this report.

Policy Implications

There are no policy implications for Council associated with this report.

Risk Implications

The proactive and reactive maintenance measures outlined in this report will lead to improved reputational outcomes for Council.

Financial Implications

Council’s draft 2019/2020 budget will be prepared to include the additional operational resources required to improve Council’s management and maintenance of the public domain and open space as outlined within this report.

CONCLUSION

A series of factors including unusual weather patterns have impacted Council’s ability to maintain and manage the public domain and open space in accordance with the community’s expectations. The proactive measures and remedial actions outlined in this report including introducing additional staff and implementing new maintenance structures will improve overall accountability and service reach.

Attachments

Nil

Granville Ward
Clr Steve Christou	0419 651 187	Steve.Christou@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Ola Hamed	0405 070 007	Ola.Hamed@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Joseph Rahme	0418 995 471	Joseph.Rahme@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Greystanes Ward
Clr Greg Cummings (Mayor)	0417 612 717	Greg.Cummings@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Ross Grove	0418 987 241	Ross.Grove@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Eddy Sarkis	0418 306 918	Eddy.Sarkis@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Regents Park Ward
Clr Ned Attie	0419 583 254	Ned.Attie@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr George Campbell	0409 233 315	George.Campbell@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Kun Huang	0418 911 774	Kun.Huang@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
South Granville Ward
Clr Glenn Elmore (Deputy Mayor)	0418 459 527	Glenn.Elmore@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Paul Garrard	0414 504 504	Paul.Garrard@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Tom Zreika	0449 008 888	Tom.Zreika@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Wentworthville Ward
Clr Lisa Lake	0418 669 681	Lisa.Lake@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Suman Saha	0419 546 950	Suman.Saha@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Michael Zaiter	0418 432 797	Michael.Zaiter@cumberland.nsw.gov.au