Council Meeting
Wednesday, 1 July 2020 at 6:30pm
Cumberland City Council Chambers
Merrylands Service Centre, 16 Memorial Avenue, Merrylands
Council Meeting
Wednesday, 1 July 2020 at 6:30pm
Cumberland City Council Chambers
Merrylands Service Centre, 16 Memorial Avenue, Merrylands
Councillor Contact Details
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Granville Ward |
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Clr Steve Christou (Mayor) |
0419 651 187 |
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Clr Ola Hamed |
0405 070 007 |
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Clr Joseph Rahme |
0418 995 471 |
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Greystanes Ward |
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Clr Greg Cummings |
0417 612 717 |
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Clr Eddy Sarkis (Deputy Mayor) |
0418 306 918 |
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Vacant |
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Regents Park Ward |
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Clr Ned Attie |
0419 583 254 |
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Clr George Campbell |
0409 233 315 |
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Clr Kun Huang |
0418 911 774 |
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South Granville Ward |
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Clr Glenn Elmore |
0418 459 527 |
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Clr Paul Garrard |
0414 504 504 |
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Clr Tom Zreika |
0400 805 303 |
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Wentworthville Ward |
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Clr Lisa Lake |
0418 669 681 |
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Clr Suman Saha |
0419 546 950 |
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Clr Michael Zaiter |
0418 432 797 |
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For information on Council services and facilities please visit www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Council Meeting
1 July 2020
MM07/20-34 Mayoral Minute - Service NSW Centre at Granville.............. 5
MM07/20-35 Mayoral Minute - Energy Savings for Businesses in the LGA 7
The below reports have been withdrawn by the General Manager on 25 June 2020 to be considered at the next Ordinary Council Meeting.
Director Environment & Planning
C07/20-482 Cumberland Local Environmental Plan – Post Exhibition Report on New Planning Controls for Cumberland City
C07/20-483 Cumberland Local Environmental Plan – Post Exhibition Report on Proposed Amendments to Planning Controls
C07/20-484 Cumberland Local Environmental Plan – Post Exhibition Report on Site Specific Requests and Council’s Strategic Planning Work Program
1 July 2020
Item No: MM07/20-34
Mayoral Minute - Service NSW Centre at Granville
Author: Mayor Steve Christou
File Number: SC486
Summary
Council may recall the Notice of Motion I submitted to the Council meeting on 4 September 2019, where Council resolved to write to the NSW Premier enquiring as to when the Service NSW Customer Service Centre at Merrylands will be delivered.
To date, despite Council’s efforts to ensure the election commitment to deliver a Service NSW centre to our community is honoured, my repeated requests have not been adequately responded to. I propose now that Council take this matter further, to ensure a positive customer experience for the residents in the Cumberland Local Government Area.
As a result, tonight I am seeking the support of my fellow Councillors to endorse, in principle, the provision of space for a Service NSW centre to be co-located in the new administration building being planned for Granville. This space would obviously be subject to a lease agreement once the building is finalised, however it is important to earmark that we have a location for Service NSW to provide its range of services to the residents of Cumberland and a location that Services NSW could start planning for.
This should assist in reducing any unnecessary red tape for the provision of a new Service NSW centre for the Cumberland area, which is desperately needed. In addition, I propose that Council write to the Premier and Minister of Customer Service, requesting that in the absence of any certainty around the Merrylands Service NSW centre being delivered, that they strongly support this proposal.
It is important that this Council shows strong leadership to our community, who constantly advise me that they are struggling to reach a service NSW centre to complete basic requests. Our residents deserve better than this, and we need to make their day to day lives easier.
Therefore Councillors, I am recommending the following:
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That Council: 1. Approve in principle the provision of office space for the potential location of a Service NSW Centre within the new Council Administration Building proposed at Granville. 2. Write to the Premier of NSW and Minister for Customer Service requesting their strong support for this proposal. |
Attachments
Nil
Council Meeting
1 July 2020
Item No: MM07/20-35
Mayoral Minute - Energy Savings for Businesses in the LGA
Author: Mayor Steve Christou
File Number: SC486
Summary
Council understands that the COVID-19 Pandemic has introduced added financial burdens for businesses within our Community. In order to lessen the financial burden of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Council is looking into a range of ways to assist businesses within the Cumberland LGA to reduce costs and increase their financial resilience through this Pandemic.
One of these ways is assisting in the reduction of the cost of electricity which Council is working within the energy industry to link businesses with more competitive electricity rates. The cost of retail electricity rates to small businesses has significantly increased over the past few years and Council understands that trying to secure a competitive electricity deal maybe challenging for small businesses within the Cumberland LGA due to their lack of buying power and usage.
Staff have been in discussions with various electricity consultants, who specialise in providing industry tailored solutions for the supply of green energy to small and medium businesses by grouping different sectors into a larger buying group.
To kick start the process over the next few months, Council will assist our local businesses by promoting green based electricity supply and also spread the message through our usual media avenues at no additional cost to our budget, that, with the assistance of experienced green energy consultants, local businesses can be assessed and an LGA wide power purchase agreement is possible without having to be a large or global enterprise.
Council in the near future will also be looking at a power purchase agreement however that process will be undertaken through Council's usual procurement policies and procedures.
In addition to helping businesses in our LGA, this program will also help the environment by further stimulating the investment of renewable energy projects within NSW and deliver cleaner, greener electricity at an affordable price.
Therefore Councillors, I am recommending the following:
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Recommendation That Council: 1. Promote the use of green energy throughout the LGA via our usual media means such as, however not limited to, the Council website, Facebook page, Mayoral column, quarterly newsletter and business rate notice mail out.
2. Provide support and advice, with the assistance of experienced green energy consultants to businesses in the LGA, in an attempt to reduce their energy costs and promote clean, green, renewable energy sources for electricity supply.
3. The above is to be done with no additional cost to council's budget utilising the media resources mentioned above. |
Attachments
Nil