Late 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

15 April 2020

Item No: MM04/20-28

Mayoral Minute - Cumberland City Council's Response to Childcare Services

Author: Mayor Steve Christou

File Number: SC483

Summary

On 2 April 2020, the Prime Minister announced a new Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package. The package was to provide approximately one million families with free child care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cumberland City Council strongly supported the Government’s intended position to provide families with additional financial assistance during these tough times.

However, this plan as announced was set to have a devastating impact on our Council’s 17 early education and care centres and the 150 staff employed to provide services within these centres. Notably, this was because Council was not eligible to participate in the Government’s Job Keeper program.

Following this announcement, Council provided notification to all parents and staff of its intent to cease operations of its 17 facilities. With a budget impact projected of up to $1,000,000 per month, and given Council’s budget position which Council is very transparent about, this was not a cost that Council could responsibly absorb for any period of time.

I know how important childcare is to our community and our 150 staff working in these facilities. Mums and dads in the area rely on these services that we provide and I have spoken to many of them this past week. We did not at any time wish to voluntarily close our facilities.

With the assistance of parents in our community, I personally lobbied all levels of government to assist with this situation. This included me being interviewed by Ray Hadley on his morning talk back radio show, Channel 9 news as well as Channel 10’s The Project and Council’s stance on this matter was far reaching, and made national news.

As a result of this advocacy, I was delighted to see the announcement of the State Government late last week to allow all Councils to provide free child care, with the costs of this service being met in part by the Federal Government, and the State Government meeting the balance.

I am so proud of the Cumberland City community for leading the way in getting this issue resolved on behalf of not only our community in Cumberland but for all child care services run by the Local Government sector across NSW.

We are relieved that common sense prevailed and that the NSW Government has recognised the value of these early educational services that Council provides for our working families.

We have already written to parents utilising our services to advise them that our notice of intention to cease operations has been reversed. This keeps our 17 early education and care centres open and gives certainty to our 150 staff who provide these services and the 600 families that use them.

I would like to thank the State member for Prospect, Dr Hugh McDermott, for listening to our concerns and listening to parents and for helping in delivering a solution that supports local councils and supports families.

I would like to express my disappointment with Federal Shadow Minister for Health Chris Bowen for publicly sharing a letter he had addressed to myself on social media and more so express greater disappointment with State Member for Granville, Ms Julia Finn, who in particular chose to criticise Cumberland City Council on two occasions via her social media page and politicise this issue. On one occasion Ms Finn shared on her social media page a letter she had written to myself dated 8 April 2020. To date Council has still not received that letter.

As of Thursday April 9 4:01pm and Wednesday April 15 4:00pm checks of Council’s records system for the letter have confirmed that Council has still not received Ms Finn’s correspondence. As one of our local representatives I feel let down that Ms Finn did not reach out directly to Council offering her assistance to resolve this issue. I feel her stance was short-sighted and most unhelpful in a time of national crisis. Despite this, we have achieved a great outcome by taking up the issue ourselves, aided by community support and our own lobbying.

I hope that families in our area will be pleased with this outcome, because we certainly are. This result is a major win for working class families and Councils across NSW, and I’m convinced the combined efforts at Cumberland City Council helped achieve this great outcome.

During this challenging time, I would also like to thank the General Manager and his Executive Team for showing strong leadership in what was a very a sensitive situation.

Recommendation

That Council recognise the efforts of the parents and staff within Cumberland in reaching a positive outcome for the sustainability of Council’s childcare operations.

Attachments

Nil

Council Meeting

15 April 2020

Item No: C04/20-422

CORRECTION - Questions on Notice - Submitted by Councillor Lake

Responsible Division: General Manager

File Number: SC483

Question/s:

Will the General Manager please provide answers to the following questions in relation to the Draft Pricing Policy, Fees and Charges 2020-21 :-

a. In relation to Council’s Long Day Centres (open 7am – 6 pm) and Council’s Long Day Centre (open 6am – 6pm):

i. What was the daily fee per child

· from 1 July 2019 – 31 December 2019

· from 1 January 2020 – 30 June 2020 (meals included and no meals included),

ii. What is the proposed daily fee per child from 1 July 2020 (meals included and no meals included),

iii.What are the percentage increases in the fees/proposed fees from 1 July 2019 to 1 July 2020, and

iv.Why is the pricing policy for long day care proposed for variation from “minimal cost recovery” set in year 19/20 to “full cost recovery”?

b. In relation to Council’s golf facilities :-

i. What was the weekday fee for adults playing 18 holes from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020,

ii. What is the proposed weekday fee for adults playing 18 holes from 1 July 2020, and

iii.What is the percentage increase in the fee/proposed fee from 1 July 2019 to 1 July 2020.

c. Has the proposed pricing policy varied from year 19/20 to year 20/21 for any other fee or charge?

Answer/s:

Will the General Manager please provide answers to the following questions in relation to the Draft Pricing Policy, Fees and Charges 2020-21 :-

a. In relation to Council’s Long Day Centres (open 7am – 6 pm) and Council’s Long Day Centre (open 6am – 6pm):

i. What was the daily fee per child

· from 1 July 2019 – 31 December 2019

	1 Jul 2019 – 31 Dec 2019
Long Day Care, 7am-6pm

Daily Fee (Meal Included)	$ 95.00

Long Day Care, 6am-6pm
Daily Fee	$ 97.00

· from 1 January 2020 – 30 June 2020 (meals included and no meals included),

	1 January 2020 – 30 June 2020
Long Day Care, 7am-6pm
Daily fee (Meal Included)	$ 100.00
Daily Fee	$ 95.00

Long Day Care, 6am-6pm
Daily Fee	$ 105.00

ii. What is the proposed daily fee per child from 1 July 2020 (meals included and no meals included),

Long Day Care, 7am-6pm
Meals provided excludes formula (Children aged 0 to 3 years)	$ 115.00
Meals not provided (Children aged 0 to 3 years)	$ 110.00
Meals provided (Children aged 3 to 5 years)	$ 110.00
Meals not provided (Children aged 3 to 5 years)	$ 105.00
Lunch Charge (if required at no meals centres)	$ 6.00

Long Day Care, 6am-6pm
Meals provided excludes formula (Children aged 0 to 3 years)	$ 120.00
Meals provided (Children aged 3 to 5 years)	$ 115.00

iii. What are the percentage increases in the fees/proposed fees from 1 July 2019 to 1 July 2020, and

· 7am to 6pm 3-5 years increased $15 Up by 15.8%

· 6am to 6pm 3-5 years increased $18 Up by 18.6%

Council introduced a new fee for 0-3 that did not exist before

· 7am to 6pm 0-3 years increased $20 Up by 21%

· 6am to 6pm 0-3 years increased $23 Up by 23.7%

iv. Why is the pricing policy for long day care proposed for variation from “minimal cost recovery” set in year 19/20 to “full cost recovery”?

The long day care business is a declared business activity. The Office Local Government “Pricing and Costing for Council Business –guide to Competitive Neutrality” (Guidelines) 1997 require prices to be set on a Full Cost Recovery.

The pricing policy has not changed, I however, note that minimal cost recovery was not an accurate classification for fees and charges in 19/20. This has now been corrected in 20/21.

b. In relation to Council’s golf facilities :-

i. What was the weekday fee for adults playing 18 holes from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020,

$26.00

ii. What is the proposed weekday fee for adults playing 18 holes from 1 July 2020, and

$26.00

iii. What is the percentage increase in the fee/proposed fee from 1 July 2019 to 1 July 2020.

c. Has the proposed pricing policy varied from year 19/20 to year 20/21 for any other fee or charge?

The proposed pricing policy has not varied however Council has conducted a review on how fees are classified and changes have been made where appropriate.

Attachments

Nil