Agenda of Council Meeting

Councillor Contact Details

Granville Ward
Clr Steve Christou (Mayor)	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	0417 612 717	Greg.Cummings@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Eddy Sarkis (Deputy Mayor)	0418 306 918	Eddy.Sarkis@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Vacant	-	-
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	0418 459 527	Glenn.Elmore@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Paul Garrard	0414 504 504	Paul.Garrard@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Tom Zreika	0400 805 303	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

For information on Council services and facilities please visit www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au

Council Meeting

18 March 2020

ORDER OF BUSINESS

1 Opening Prayer / Acknowledgement of Country / National Anthem

2 Notice of Live Streaming of Council meeting

3 Apologies / Requests for Leave of Absence

4 Declarations of Pecuniary & Non Pecuniary Conflicts of Interest

5 Confirmation of Previous Minutes

C03/20-397 Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Council - 04 March 2020 5

6 Mayoral Minutes

Nil

7 Public Forum / Presentation of Petitions

8 Items Resolved by Exception

9 Reports to Council

General Manager

C03/20-398 Legal Report................................................................... 23

Director People & Performance

Nil

Director Finance & Governance

C03/20-399 Investment Report - February 2020.................................. 25

C03/20-400 Monthly Financial Performance........................................ 49

Director Community Development

C03/20-401 Rising Star Sports Award - February 2020 Applications...... 57

Director Environment & Planning

C03/20-402 Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement 61

Director Works & Infrastructure

Nil

10 Reports of Council Committees

C03/20-403 Nominations for Events Committee 2020 - 2021................ 66

C03/20-404 Cumberland Heritage Committee - Minutes of Meeting Held 25 February 2020, Cumberland Local Heritage Rebate Program for 2020 and Cumberland Local Heritage Awards Program for 2020.......................................................................................... 66

11 Motions Pursuant to Notice

Nil

12 Notices of Rescission

Nil

13 Questions on Notice

Nil

14 Closed Session Reports

C03/20-405 Request from Fire & Rescue NSW for a Fire Safety Audit on Identified Building

Note: Included in Closed Council in accordance with Section 10A(2)(d)(i) of the Local Government Act as the information involves commercial information of a confidential nature that would, if disclosed prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied it.

C03/20-406 Update on Council Resolution - 13 John Street, Lidcombe

Note: Included in Closed Council in accordance with Section 10A(2)(c) of the Local Government Act as the information involves information that would, if disclosed, confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom the Council is conducting (or proposes to conduct) business.

15 Other / General Matters

16 Close

Council Meeting

18 March 2020

Item No: C03/20-398

Legal Report

Responsible Division: General Manager

Officer: General Counsel

File Number: T014916/2018

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Transparent and accountable leadership

Summary

This report provides Council with a summary of legal proceedings in which Council is involved.

Recommendation

That Council receive this report.

Report

This report provides Council with a summary of legal proceedings in which Council is involved.

It does not include the following types of legal proceedings:

1. Proceedings that are managed by Council’s insurers;

2. Local Court Proceedings involving an appeal against a parking fine; and

3. Proceedings for the recovery of debts where those proceedings are being run by Council’s external debt collection agency.

The report is current to 2 March 2020. It does not capture changes that have occurred between that date and the date the report is considered by Council.

Community Engagement

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

Policy Implications

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

Risk Implications

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

Financial Implications

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

CONCLUSION

This is an information report with the Legal Register provided as a confidential attachment.

Attachments

1. Legal Report (confidential)

Council Meeting

18 March 2020

Item No: C03/20-399

Investment Report - February 2020

Responsible Division: Finance & Governance

Officer: Director Finance & Governance

File Number: A-05-01/05

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Transparent and accountable leadership

Summary

This is a report from the Director Finance & Governance providing an update on the performance of Council’s investment portfolio to 29 February 2020.

Recommendation

That Council receive the February 2020 Investment Report.

Report

Included in this report are the following items that highlight Council’s investment portfolio performance for the month, year-to-date to 29 February 2020, and an update of the investment environment.

Council Investments as at 29 February 2020

Council’s investment portfolio has a current market value of $155,885,601. This represents a premium of $1,333,054 above the face value of the portfolio being $154,552,547 and generates a 0.77% average purchase yield. The following table reflects Council’s holding in various investment categories.

Investment Portfolio Performance

The investment returns for the month year-to-date of 29 February 2020 did not outperform the current month benchmark, but has exceeded the year to date benchmark.

Performance – Current Month 29 February 2020

For the month of February, Council‘s portfolio generated interest earnings of $75,095. This is $219,030 lower than the budget of $294,125 and did not outperform the AusBond Bank Bill Index by 0.29%, as detailed below:-

Performance – Year-to-date 29 February 2020

For the year-to-date, Council‘s portfolio generated interest earnings of $2,224,391. This is $128,607 lower than the budget of $2,352,998 and outperformed the AusBond Bank Bill Index by 1.13%, as per below:-

Community Engagement

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

Policy Implications

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

Risk Implications

To manage risk, key criteria are incorporated into Cumberland Council’s investment making decisions, as detailed below:-

Preservation of Capital

The requirement for preventing losses in an investment portfolio’s total value (considering the time value of money).

Diversification

Setting limits to the amounts invested with a particular financial institution or government authority to reduce credit risk.

Credit risk

The risk that an investment of Council fails to pay the interest and/or repay the principal of an investment.

Maturity risk

The longer the term of the investment, the greater the exposure to potential changes in interest rates, market volatility and credit quality of an issuer.

Financial Implications

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

CONCLUSION

Council hereby certifies that the investments listed above have been made in accordance with Section 625 of the Local Government Act 1993, Clause 212 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 and Council’s Investment Policy.

Attachments

1. Investment Summary Report February 2020

2. Economic and Investment Portfolio Commentary February 2020

Council Meeting

18 March 2020

Item No: C03/20-400

Monthly Financial Performance

Responsible Division: Finance & Governance

Officer: Director Finance & Governance

File Number: HC-06-13-22

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Transparent and accountable leadership

Summary

The purpose of this report is to provide transparency around the financial performance of Council’s directorates.

Recommendation

That Council receive the information contained in this report.

Report

The following is the year-to-date (YTD) January 2020 report for Council, and attached are the directorate reports.

Discussion January Year-to-date

Operating Income YTD $172.9m, $0.7m lower than the budget

There are no major variances to report but the following are the largest variances;

· Operating Grant –$0.3m.The largest variance is due to lower pension grant.

· User Fees $0.1m. The largest variance is related to childcare fees.

· Other income $0.1m. The largest variance is property leases.

Operating Expenses YTD $113.8m, $3.4m better than budget

The expenses are $3.4m lower than in the budget. In the month, there was additional savings of $2.4m mainly due to employee costs $1.1m and material costs of $0.9m. These costs being lower than budget are due largely to the measures put in place to manage expenditure, Council will continue to monitor these costs over the next few months. The material cost savings are mainly related to timing difference due to drought conditions.

The YTD variance is mainly due to the January performance.

Attached are the reports by directorate.

Community Engagement

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

Policy Implications

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

Risk Implications

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

Financial Implications

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

CONCLUSION

The January year-to-date recurring budget position is on target given the current YTD variance is favourable by $2.6m.

Attachments

1. January 2020 Monthly Finance Report

Council Meeting

18 March 2020

Item No: C03/20-401

Rising Star Sports Award - February 2020 Applications

Responsible Division: Community Development

Officer: Acting Director Community Development

File Number: SC619

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Transparent and accountable leadership

Summary

The Cumberland City Council Rising Star Sports Award aims to celebrate and support the achievements of local residents who are pursuing excellence in the field of sport. The award will provide one-off financial assistance to individual athletes, coaches and technical officials of any age who have been selected to represent their sport at a regional, state, national or international level.

This report outlines the outcome of staff assessment and the recommendation for funding allocation for applications submitted in the month of February 2020.

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Endorse the one application recommended for funding and allocate $1,500 from the 2019/2020 Cumberland Rising Star Sports Award.

2. Advise the applicant of the funding allocation for the 2019/20 Cumberland Rising Star Sports Award and provide feedback to the unsuccessful applicant.

Report

Background

This report provides information on the recommendation for funding allocations for the two (2) applications submitted in the month of February 2020 under the Rising Star Sports Award.

The 2019/2020 Cumberland Rising Star Program is open all year round and applications are received on a monthly basis by 4pm on the last Monday of each month. Council does not award funding retrospectively and athletes cannot receive more than one award per financial year from this fund.

Assessment Outcomes

Council received a total of two (2) applications for funding during the month of February 2020. One application is recommended for funding. The second application was deemed ineligible as the application was submitted outside of the timeframes to enable assessment and determination by Council and the event has already occurred.

The following table provides a summary of the Subject Matter Expert Panel recommendations for the month of February 2020 for determination by Council:

RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING
Applicant	Project Title & Description	Amount Requested	Assessment Panel Comments
Joshua Toisuta	To assist with accommodation, travel, uniform and physiotherapy associated costs toward the 2020 Hancock Prospecting Australian Age Swimming Championships in Mount Claremont, WA from 7-14 April 2020.	$1,500	The applicant has achieved outstanding results in a year in which he was also studying for his HSC. The applicant has strong support from his club and is an athlete that has clear dedication to his sport of swimming. Joshua’s achievements continue to progress as he continues to strive for excellence.
INELGIBLE FOR FUNDING
Applicant	Project Title & Description	Amount Requested	Assessment Panel Comments
Bailey Sly	To assist with accommodation and travel associated costs towards the 2020 NSW Touch Football Junior State Cup Southern Conference in Wagga Wagga, NSW from 21-23 February 2020.	$750	The event was held from 21 - 23 February 2020. The application was submitted three weeks before the event date. The Rising Star Award Guidelines state that applications must be submitted 4 - 6 weeks prior to the event occurring and that funding cannot be provided retrospectively.

Community Engagement

Information about the Cumberland Rising Star Sports Award is open all year round and widely promoted to the community using the following methods:

· Promotion of the Rising Star Sports Award through Council’s social media channels.

· Monthly emails are sent to local community organisations and individuals who subscribe to Council’s Grants Bulletin (778 subscribers).

· The Guidelines and Application Forms are available on Council’s website.

· Promotional flyers are displayed in Council’s community centres, libraries and Customer Contact Centres.

· Promotion through local Sports Clubs.

· Promotion through Council’s Schools Newsletter which is distributed to all schools across Cumberland.

Policy Implications

The Community Grants and Donations Policy outlines the framework under which grants and donations made by Council to the community are governed. The Policy ensures Council meets legislative requirements prescribed in Section 356 of the Local Government Act 1993. All applications submitted to the Cumberland Rising Star Sports Award 2019/2020 are assessed in accordance with this Policy and the Community Grants Program Guidelines.

Risk Implications

The successful applicant will be required to enter into a funding agreement with Council and meet all requirements of the agreement including reporting on the outcomes of the expenditure of grant funds.

Financial Implications

There is a total of $9,916 remaining in the 2019/20 Cumberland Rising Star Sports Award budget. The $1,500 recommended for funding will leave a balance of $8,416 remaining available in the Rising Star Sports Awards for the remainder of the financial year.

CONCLUSION

The Cumberland City Council Rising Star Sports Award provides one-off financial assistance to support the achievements of local residents who are pursuing excellence in the field of sport.

Council will notify the applicants of the outcome of their application.

Attachments

Nil

Council Meeting

18 March 2020

Item No: C03/20-402

Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement

Responsible Division: Environment & Planning

Officer: Director Environment & Planning

File Number: SUB543

Community Strategic Plan Goal: A resilient built environment

Summary

This report provides an update on Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, including the letter of support from the Greater Sydney Commission and status of the finalisation process.

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Note the letter of support from the Greater Sydney Commission on Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement;

2. Endorse the updated Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement (February 2020), as provided in Attachment 1, for finalisation; and

3. Note the status of the finalisation process for Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, which needs to be completed by 31 March 2020.

Report

Background

Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement has been prepared to provide strategic direction and a coordinated approach to effectively manage growth and development in the Cumberland area. It sets a land use vision and structure plan and identifies priorities and actions to support the vision.

In November 2019, the final draft Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement was considered by Council. At the meeting, Council resolved to:

“1. Note the outcomes of the public exhibition of the Draft Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, and refinements made to address feedback from the community, stakeholders and State agencies;

2. Endorse the updated Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, as provided in Attachment 1, for submission to the Greater Sydney Commission;

3. Delegate to the General Manager the authorisation to make minor revisions to Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, as necessary, following Council’s deliberations and advice from the Greater Sydney Commission, to ensure the desired objectives and intended outcomes can be achieved;

4. Delegate to the General Manager the authorisation to finalise Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, following the issue of a letter of support from the Greater Sydney Commission subject to no further major changes; and

5. Note that Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement will be forwarded to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for publication on the NSW planning portal following finalisation.”

Letter of support from Greater Sydney Commission

In accordance with Council’s resolution, the final draft version of the Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement was forwarded to the Greater Sydney Commission for the required assurance review. Following this review, minor refinements were made to the document in response to feedback from the Greater Sydney Commission. An updated version was provided to the Greater Sydney Commission in February 2020 (Attachment 1), and received a letter of support from the Greater Sydney Commission in March 2020 (Attachment 2).

Finalisation process

With the receipt of the letter of support from the Greater Sydney Commission, the Local Strategic Planning Statement needs to be finalised. Subject to Council endorsement, the General Manager will formally make the February 2020 version of Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, which will then be forwarded to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for publication on the NSW planning portal following finalisation. This needs to be completed by 31 March 2020.

Community Engagement

Extensive community engagement and consultation was undertaken during the preparation of Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, and details were reported to Council during 2019. There are no further consultation processes for Council associated with this report.

Policy Implications

The preparation of Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement is required under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. The Statement also informs the preparation of the new Cumberland Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan. The Statement also complements the strategic directions and priorities outlined in Cumberland Council’s Community Strategic Plan.

The Greater Sydney Commission has now completed their assurance review of this strategic document and provided their formal support. The final step for Council to ensure all statutory obligations have been met is publication of Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement on the new planning portal.

Risk Implications

The funding agreement for Council’s accelerated Local Environmental Plan Funding Grant requires finalisation of Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement by 31 March 2020. Council has met all previous project milestones, including submission to the Greater Sydney Commission for assurance review by 25 November 2019.

Financial Implications

Work undertaken on Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement is funded from Council’s accelerated Local Environmental Plan Funding Grant.

CONCLUSION

This report provides an update on Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, including the letter of support from the Greater Sydney Commission and status of the finalisation process.

Attachments

1. Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement (February 2020)

2. Letter of Support from Greater Sydney Commission: Cumberland Council Draft Local Strategic Planning Statement

Council Meeting

18 March 2020

Council Meeting

18 March 2020

Item No: C03/20-403

Nominations for Events Committee 2020 - 2021

Responsible Division: Community Development

Officer: Acting Director Community Development

File Number: 7874745

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Transparent and accountable leadership

Summary

The 2017-2019 term for the Cumberland Events Committee ended in December 2019.

This report presents a summary of community nominations received for prospective members of the 2020-2021 Events Committee, following an open Expression of Interest process, and provides the Draft Terms of Reference for the 2020-2021 term.

The Draft Minutes of the Committee meeting held in November 2019 are also presented with this report.

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Adopt the revised Draft Terms of Reference for the Events Committee (included in Attachment 1).

2. Adopt the community members listed in the report for membership on the 2020-2021 Events Committee.

3. Advise all applicants in writing of the outcome of their nomination for membership.

4. Receive the Draft Minutes of the Events Committee held in November 2019 (included in Attachment 2).

Report

Background

This report presents a summary of community representative nominations received for prospective members of the Events Committee, following an Expression of Interest process.

The Committee is a formal advisory body to Cumberland City Council. Its purpose is to provide a forum for Council to engage with and obtain feedback from community representatives in the planning and delivery of Council’s cultural engagement program, events and activities which include, Lunar New Year, Ramadan, Diwali, and Christmas events.

Membership and Selection Criteria

As per the current Terms of Reference, membership of the Committee should consist of:

· Up to twelve (12) community members or representatives. Ideally, the community members or representatives will be representative from across the geographical area of the Cumberland City Local Government Area (LGA).

· Two (2) appointed Councillors.

Community membership of the Committee shall be for a period of up to two years and aligned to the term of Council.

To be eligible as a community representative, members must live, work, study or have connections to the Cumberland City LGA and meet at least one of the following criteria:

· Be an individual or representative from a Cumberland City community organisation with demonstrated knowledge, experience or interest in the planning and delivery of community events and activities.

· Be an individual or representative of a local community organisation(s) representing a diverse culturally and linguistic community/communities of Cumberland City.

Nominations received for the Events Committee

Six community nominations were received for the Committee. All nominations were reviewed against the selection criteria by an internal panel of Council staff. All applications were found to be successful in meeting one or more of the selection criteria.

It is recommended that Council approve the nominations of the following six community members to the Committee:

1. Aga (Yin Lan) Ge

2. Aparna Vats

3. Assad Cina

4. Carly Lewis

5. Renga Chidambaranathan

6. Sanjeev Goyal

Proposed changes to the Committee Terms of Reference

After consultation with Council’s Governance team, it is recommended that Council adopt the revised Draft Terms of Reference included under Attachment 1 of this report, noting the following:

· Changes to wording to reflect Council name change to Cumberland City Council including logo with new branding.

· Changes to wording of the Committee’s purpose to align with Council’s current Events Program.

· Other Councillors are able to attend as non-voting members.

· Draft Minutes will be reported to Council every three (3) months.

· Cumberland City Council will not authorise payment or provide remuneration to Committee members.

· Committee members are covered by Council’s public liability and professional indemnity insurance, so long as they are undertaking their duties in good faith.

Minutes of the Events Committee Meeting - November 2019

The previous Events Committee met on 7 November 2019 with four (4) Committee members in attendance.

The Draft Minutes of the Meeting are included in Attachment 2 of this report.

Community Engagement

Nominations for community members and representatives to join the Cumberland City Events Committee were open from 9am, Friday 17 January 2020 to midnight, 27 February 2020.

Nominations were invited via an open Expression of Interest process, which was promoted widely using the following methods:

· Advertisements in both the Auburn Review (14 January 2020) and Parramatta Advertiser (15 January 2020) with information on different ways to submit a nomination.

· Advertised on Council’s website between 14 January 2020 and 27 February 2020 with information on how to nominate.

· Provision of hardcopies at the Auburn and Merrylands Customer Service Centres, Auburn and Merrylands Libraries, between 17 January 2020 and 14 February 2020.

· Emails were sent to community groups, and other key stakeholder groups.

· Members of the existing Events Committee were also directly contacted and invited to nominate.

Policy Implications

All Council Committees and members are expected to comply with Council’s Code of Conduct and related policies, as well as Council’s Code of Meeting Practice when conducting meetings. All former and new Committee members upon each new term will be required to undertake compulsory induction training.

Council staff will provide administrative support to the Committee to ensure the appropriate governance requirements and protocols are followed.

Risk Implications

There are low risk implications associated with the operation of this Committee. The Events Committee provides an advisory function to Council. Committee members are covered by Council’s public liability and professional indemnity insurance, so long as they are undertaking their duties in good faith.

Financial Implications

Council’s operational budget provides funding for the administration of the Committee. Members of the Events Committee are not remunerated for their role on the Committee.

CONCLUSION

It is recommended that Council adopt the proposed Draft Terms of Reference and appoint the nominated community members listed in this report to the Events Committee.

The Draft Minutes of the Events Committee held in November 2019 are also provided with this report.

Attachments

1. Events Committee Draft Terms of Reference

2. Draft Events Committee Minutes of Meeting - 7 November 2019

Council Meeting

18 March 2020

Item No: C03/20-404

Cumberland Heritage Committee - Minutes of Meeting Held 25 February 2020, Cumberland Local Heritage Rebate Program for 2020 and Cumberland Local Heritage Awards Program for 2020

Responsible Division: Environment & Planning

Officer: Director Environment & Planning

File Number: SUB543

Community Strategic Plan Goal: A great place to live

Summary

This report presents the minutes of the Cumberland Heritage Committee meeting held on 25 February 2020.

This report recommends that the annual Cumberland Local Heritage Rebate Program (Rebate Program) and Cumberland Local Heritage Awards (Awards) are held in 2020, as recommended by the Committee.

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Note and endorse the minutes of the Cumberland Heritage Committee meeting held on 25 February 2020 (Attachment 1);

2. Undertake the Heritage Rebate Program in 2020 in accordance with the Heritage Rebate Program Guidelines (Attachment 2) and with a budget of $50,000; and

3. Undertake the Cumberland Heritage Awards in 2020 in accordance with the Heritage Awards Guidelines (Attachment 3).

Report

Background

The Cumberland Heritage Committee is an advisory committee of Council. The first meeting of the Committee for 2020 was held on 25 February 2020. The minutes of this meeting, as endorsed by the meeting convenor, are provided at Attachment 1, in line with the Committee’s Terms of Reference. Key aspects of this meeting are outlined below.

Cumberland Local Heritage Rebate Program

The Committee recommended that the Cumberland Local Heritage Rebate Program proceed in 2020. The entry guidelines were updated in early 2019 to provide clearer and more specific entry criteria, such as requiring applicants to provide photographs and minimum two quotations for any proposed work. These guidelines have been further updated to reflect Council’s City status (Attachment 2).

All rebate applications will be reviewed by the Committee in June 2020, prior to being reported to Council for a resolution. The total budget of the Rebate Program in 2019 was $50,000, and it is proposed that this budget be maintained for the 2020 rebate program.

Cumberland Local Heritage Awards

The Committee recommended that the annual Cumberland Local Heritage Awards be run again in 2020. These annual awards have been a successful event for Council over the past four years, and are a highly effective initiative in the promotion and acknowledgement of local heritage conservation within our community.

The Committee reviewed the six entry categories used in 2019 and recommended that Council proceed with the same categories in 2020, with Category 5 (Year 5 and 6 primary school writing category) to be reviewed following the 2020 awards, due to very low entry rates in 2018 and 2019. The Committee recommended that more specific guidance around the topics/theme be provided for Category 5 (Writing Competition) and Category 6 (Group Artwork Competition) to ensure entries are more relevant to the overall theme of local heritage. This recommendation will be reflected in the entry forms.

For Category 4: Keeper of the Stone (Children’s Heritage Award - colouring competition for Kindergarten to Year 4), the Committee nominated the Brickworks at Holroyd Gardens for the colouring stencil in 2020.

In addition to the minor refinements above, the Awards Guidelines have been updated to reflect Council’s city status.

Lower Prospect Canal

The Committee considered the matter of the Lower Prospect Canal and the proposal for Council to consider whether it will support a nomination seeking national heritage listing of the canal. The committee recommended that the peer review consultant report on this matter be circulated to the committee for review and further discussion.

The Committee also recommended that Council write to the other Councils through which the Lower prospect canal system traverses, to gauge their interest in pursuing this matter.

Community Engagement

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

Subject to endorsement of the Council resolution to proceed with the Awards and Rebate Program in 2020, the following engagement activities will be undertaken during late March 2020 and April 2020 to promote Council’s Heritage Awards and Rebate program:

· Letter notifications to owners of all heritage listed properties and properties located within heritage conservation areas across Cumberland City, advising them of the Rebate Program and the Awards, and inviting applications and/or entries respectively.

· Notices will be placed in local newspapers and on Council’s website to announce the opening of the Rebate Program and the Awards, with entry forms available on Council’s website, libraries, and both service centres.

· Flyers with entry details will be sent to all primary and high schools within Cumberland City, inviting entries.

Other media and social media promotion will be undertaken as appropriate.

Policy Implications

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

Risk Implications

There are minimal risk implications for Council associated with this report, in that the Awards and Rebate Program are proven Council initiatives, and are included in current work programs.

Financial Implications

Funding associated with the Rebate Program and Heritage Awards is included in Council’s budget.

CONCLUSION

The Heritage Committee met on 25 February 2020. The recommendations of the Committee are detailed in the attached minutes and in this report.

Attachments

1. Minutes of the Cumberland Heritage Committee – 25 February 2020

2. Cumberland Local Heritage Rebate Program Guidelines

3. Cumberland Local Heritage Awards Guidelines