Agenda of Council Meeting - Wednesday, 7 June 2023

Councillor Contact Details

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 Diane Colman	0400 279 200	Diane.Colman@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Greg Cummings	0417 612 717	Greg.Cummings@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Eddy Sarkis	0425 348 000	Eddy.Sarkis@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Regents Park Ward
Clr Kun Huang	0418 911 774	Kun.Huang@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Sabrin Farooqui	0400 322 999	Sabrin.Farooqui@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Helen Hughes	0400 264 534	Helen.Hughes@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 Mohamad Hussein	0400 281 726	Mohamad.Hussein@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Wentworthville Ward
Clr Lisa Lake (Mayor)	0418 669 681	Lisa.Lake@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Suman Saha (Deputy Mayor)	0419 546 950	Suman.Saha@cumberland.nsw.gov.au
Clr Michael Zaiter	0418 432 797	Michael.Zaiter@cumberland.nsw.gov.au

Statement of Ethical Obligations

Oath or Affirmation of Office

In taking the Oath or Affirmation of Office, each Councillor has made a commitment to undertake the duties of the office of councillor in the best interests of the people of Cumberland and Cumberland City Council and that they will faithfully and impartially carry out the functions, powers, authorities and discretions vested in them under the Local Government Act 1993 or any other Act to the best of their ability and judgment.

Conflicts of Interest

A councillor who has a conflict of interest in any matter with which the council is concerned, and who is present at a meeting of the council when the matter is being considered, must disclose the interest and the nature of the interest to the meeting as soon as practicable. Both the disclosure and the nature of the interest must be recorded in the minutes of the Council meeting where the conflict of interest arises. Councillors should ensure that they are familiar with Parts 4 and 5 of the Code of Conduct in relation to their obligations to declare and manage conflicts of interests.

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

Council Meeting

7 June 2023

ORDER OF BUSINESS

All Council Meetings are livestreamed via Council’s website. An audio/visual recording of the meeting is published following the meeting. Recordings remain on Council's website for a period of 12 months and are archived following this.

1 Opening of Meeting

2 Opening Prayer / Acknowledgement of Country / National Anthem

3 Apologies / Requests for Leave of Absence/ Requests for Attendance by Audio-Visual Link

4 Confirmation of Previous Minutes

C06/23-320 Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Council - 17 May 2023............ 5

5 Disclosures of Interest

6 Mayoral Minutes

Nil

7 Public Forum / Presentation of Petitions

8 Items Resolved by Exception

9 Reports to Council

C06/23-321 Adoption of Social Media and Media Policies - Post Exhibition... 23

C06/23-322 Local Government Remuneration Tribunal Determination - Mayor and Councillor Remuneration 2023/24........................................................................ 53

C06/23-323 Response to Notice of Motion - C08/22-123 - Coordinated Action to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis............................................................... 111

C06/23-324 Response to Notice of Motion - FIFA World Cup Screening...... 129

10 Reports of Council Committees

C06/23-325 Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee - Draft Minutes of Meeting Held on 22 May 2023............................................................................................. 133

11 Motions Pursuant to Notice

C06/23-326 Notice of Motion - Optimisation of Workforce Capacity of Existing Police Resources........................................................................................... 151

12 Motions to Alter or Rescind Council Resolution

Nil

13 Questions with Notice

Nil

14 Closed Session Reports

Nil

15 Resolutions passed in Closed Session

16 Other / General Matters

17 Close

Council Meeting

7 June 2023

Item No: C06/23-321

Adoption of Social Media and Media Policies - Post Exhibition

Directorate: Corporate Performance

Responsible Officer: Director Corporate Performance (Deputy GM)

File Number: SC486

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Providing Local Leadership

Summary

This report recommends the adoption of the Draft Social Media Policy and Draft Media Policy following a period of public exhibition.

Recommendation

That Council adopt the Draft Social Media Policy and Draft Media Policy as contained in Attachments 1 and 2 of this report.

Report

At the Ordinary Meeting of Council held 16 November 2022, Council resolved:

“That Council place the Draft Social Media Policy and Draft Media Policy on public exhibition for a period of 28 days with a report to be provided back to Council at the conclusion of the exhibition period.”

It should also be noted that Council also resolved to omit Clause 4.3(m) and remove the words ‘the Council or’ from Clause 5.4(e) from the Draft Social Media Policy (Min.298). Council subsequently received a Notice of Motion to alter the Council resolution at the Ordinary Meeting of Council held 21 December 2022, however, the Motion on being Put was lost.

Summary of Submission(s) Received

Council received one (1) submission during the 28-day exhibition period. A summary of the submission received, and Council’s response is provided in the following table:

Comments / Suggestions	Council response	Changes to document
Media Policy to mirror that of the OLG (Office of Local Government) Media Policy	The OLG released their Model Media Policy after the Draft Media Policy went to Council for review. Council has since reviewed the Model Media Policy and updated the Draft Media Policy to be more consistently aligned to the Model released by the OLG.	Council has opted to adopt the OLG Model Media Policy that sets out a more robust framework for the administration of interactions with the media.

Council has addressed the feedback received and now recommends that the Draft Social Media Policy and Draft Media Policy be adopted by Council. The revised policies are provided under Attachment 1 and 2 of this report.

Council considered a Notice of Motion at the Ordinary Meeting of Council held 20 July 2022 to “explore a communication platform that would provide a range of programmes that reflect the diversity of our community, enabling comment from those communities which are underrepresented in the wider community.” The recommended adoption of these policies and the existence of Council’s Community Engagement Strategy largely address the intent of this Notice of Motion. Council is continuing to publish communication via various platforms that caters to the diverse range of languages within our community.

Community Engagement

Council publicly exhibited the Draft Social Media Policy and Draft Media Policy for a period of 28 days from 3 February 2023 to 3 March 2023 on Council’s website and in local newspaper publications.

Council received 257 visits to the ‘Have Your Say’ community engagement website during the public exhibition period, with 70 people downloading both policies.

One (1) submission was received and has been formally responded to.

Policy Implications

The adoption of the revised Draft Social Media Policy and Draft Media Policy will rescind the previous versions of these policies.

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

Council has publicly exhibited the Draft Social Media Policy and Draft Media Policy, and formally responded to the one (1) submission received. The two revised policies are now recommended for adoption by Council.

Attachments

1. Draft Social Media Policy

2. Draft Media Policy

Council Meeting

7 June 2023

Item No: C06/23-322

Local Government Remuneration Tribunal Determination - Mayor and Councillor Remuneration 2023/24

Directorate: Governance and Risk

Responsible Officer: Director Governance and Risk

File Number: HC-06-02-2/03

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Providing Local Leadership

Summary

This report outlines the determination made by the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal relating to the fees payable to Mayors and Councillors from 1 July 2023. The report also makes recommendations in relation to annual remuneration for Cumberland City Council elected officials.

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Set the annual Councillor Fee for the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 at $32,590 in accordance with the provisions of Section 248 of the Local Government Act 1993; and

2. Set the annual Mayoral Fee for the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 at $94,950 in accordance with the provisions of Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1993.

Report

The Local Government Remuneration Tribunal (LGRT) has made its determination, under section 241 of the Local Government Act 1993, in relation to the annual fees to be paid to Mayors and Councillors for the 2023/24 financial year period.

Section 241 of the Local Government Act 1993 provides for the Tribunal to determine, not later than 1 May in each year, for each of the categories determined under section 239, the maximum and minimum amount of fees to be paid to mayors and councillors of councils, as well as chairpersons and members of county councils.

The Tribunal has determined the creation of two (2) new categories, being Metropolitan Major and Rural Large. In determining the 2 new categories the Tribunal gave significant consideration to section 239 of the Local Government Act 1993, statistical data, the existing categories and relativities between each category. Blacktown and Canterbury-Bankstown Councils have been included in the Metropolitan Major category. Cumberland Council remains categorised as a Metropolitan Large Council.

Further, the Tribunal’s Annual Report and Determination 2023 provides details of the factors taken into account in its determination that an increase of 3 percent in fees for Mayors and Councillors is appropriate across the sector. The increases are effective from 1 July 2023. Further information regarding the factors taken into account to reach the determination of the 3 percent increase can be found under Attachment 1 – Local Government Remuneration Tribunal – Annual Report and Determination 2023.

Pursuant to section 241 of the Local Government Act 1993, the Tribunal’s 2023 annual determination has set the annual fees to be paid in each of the categories to Mayors and Councillors effective from 1 July 2023. Under the Act, it states that if Council does not fix the fees for the Mayor and Councillors by resolution, the minimum rate is automatically applied. The annual fees for Mayors and Councillors in the ‘Metropolitan Large’ category are as follows:

Councillor/Member Annual Fee		Mayor/Chairperson Additional Fee*
Minimum	Maximum	Minimum	Maximum
$ 19,760	$ 32,590	$ 41,960	$ 94,950

*The Mayor/Chairperson additional fee must be paid in addition to the fee paid to the Mayor/Chairperson as a Councillor/Member in accordance with section 249(2) of the Local Government Act 1993.

This report recommends that Council adopt the maximum annual fees set by the Tribunal on the following basis:

· Substantial size in geographic and population size of the Local Government Area.

· Substantial responsibilities associated with the annual budget.

· The wide scope, level and range of services delivered by Council.

· Increased level of time investment required for the Mayor and Councillors to fulfil their civic duties effectively.

Adopting the report recommendations will ensure the remuneration of the Cumberland City Council elected officials reflects the increased scope of responsibilities to undertake their civic duties in a large, amalgamated 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

Attachments

1. Local Government Remuneration Tribunal – Annual Report and Determination 2023

2. OLG Circular - Mayor & Councillor Remuneration - 10 May 2023

Council Meeting

7 June 2023

Council Meeting

7 June 2023

Item No: C06/23-323

Response to Notice of Motion - C08/22-123 - Coordinated Action to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis

Directorate: Community and Culture

Responsible Officer: Director Community and Culture

File Number: 9537322

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Supporting Community Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Summary

This report provides a response to the Notice of Motion – Coordinated Action to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis resolved at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 3 August 2022 (Min.171).

Recommendation

That Council receive this report.

Report

At the Ordinary Council Meeting of 3 August 2022, Notice of Motion C08/22-123, Min 171, resolved:

“That Council:

1. Notes that:

a) There is a national and local crisis in youth mental health;

b) urgent coordinated action across all levels of government is required to address this crisis

2. Calls on the Commonwealth government to:

a) prioritise access to youth mental health support services and programs;

b) dramatically increase funding for youth mental health services;

c) establish a Headspace centre in Cumberland;

3. Calls on the NSW government to:

a) urgently increase youth-specific mental health services;

b) coordinate with local government on the provision of mental health support services and programs;

4. Commits to investigate and report back on:

a) facilitating a local youth mental health summit with local youth organisations, local support services, state and federal agencies;

b) collaborating with state and federal agencies, WSAHS and local service providers to co-produce mental health youth champions and youth mental health first aid programs for Cumberland.

5. Refer this matter to the Youth Committee for further consideration.”

Following receipt of this resolution Council undertook to:

1. Facilitate a Youth Mental Health Summit on 28 February and engage young people to express interest in becoming Mental Health Champions.

2. Consult the Youth Advisory Committee on youth mental health in Cumberland and encourage all members to attend the Summit.

Following the themes and issues raised at the Youth Mental Health Summit, Council has written advocacy letters to:

1. The Federal Government to prioritise the mental ill health of young people by increasing funding available for mental health support services such as Headspace.

2. The State Government to increase services available for young people suffering mental ill health and collaborate with Local Councils on the coordination of these services.

The Youth Mental Health Summit & Mental Health Champions

The Youth Mental Health Summit was held on 28 February and consisted of presentations from organisations including but not limited to, Youth Health, NSW Police, and Youth Off The Streets. State and Federal Ministers attended the Summit with the Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, The Honourable Emma McBride MP addressing participants.

A group of young people from Greystanes High School presented the findings of their own consultation with their peers. A panel discussion was also held where participants heard from three presenters with lived experience of youth mental ill health.

Council has facilitated an ongoing series of youth mental health first aid training workshops for youth sector professionals and parents or carers of young people. Council will be encouraging young people to express interest in becoming youth mental health champions in upcoming engagement workshops scheduled for July. Council will work in partnership with Western Sydney Allied Health Services to deliver further workshops for young people.

Youth Advisory Committee

At the Youth Advisory Committee Meeting held on 16 February 2023 the following action was minuted after a discussion regarding youth mental health:

ACTION: A report on the Mental Health Summit will be presented at the next Youth Advisory Committee Meeting.

The Committee resolved to support next steps arising from the Summit and a follow up agenda item was added to the Committee Meeting which was held on 11 May 2023.

Community Engagement

Council consulted with the youth sector of Cumberland in the lead up to the Summit, with their input informing the run-sheet and logistics including location and duration.

Prior to the Summit, Council engaged 200 young people from Greystanes High School, Chapel School in Merrylands, and Trinity Catholic College in Regents Park. The young people provided content regarding the following two questions:

1. What are the main concerns for young people regarding mental health?

2. What services are needed and what are the service gaps?

Policy Implications

There are no policy implications for Council associated with this report. The Summit is aligned with the current Youth Strategy and Council’s Community Strategic Plan

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

Council has undertaken to address all items within Motion C08/22-123, Min.171 by facilitating the Youth Mental Health Summit and is engaging young people to become youth mental health champions. The Youth Advisory Committee has been engaged and is playing an active role in outcomes arising from the Summit, including advocating to the State and Federal Governments in relation to support services for Youth experiencing mental ill health.

Attachments

1. Agenda - Youth Mental Health Summit

2. Minutes - Youth Advisory Committee Meeting 16 February 2023

Council Meeting

7 June 2023

Item No: C06/23-324

Response to Notice of Motion - FIFA World Cup Screening

Directorate: Community and Culture

Responsible Officer: Director Community and Culture

File Number: 10099295

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Supporting Community Health, Safety and Wellbeing

Summary

This report provides a response to the Notice of Motion – FIFA World Cup Screening resolved at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 17 May 2023 (Min.C05/23-318).

Recommendation

That Council deliver public screenings of up to five FIFA Women’s World Cup games in Granville Park in July / August 2023.

Report

At the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 17 May 2023, Council considered the Notice of Motion – FIFA World Cup screening, and resolved (Min.442, C05/23-318) that:

“1. Council receive a report at the next Ordinary Council meeting for the implementation of public screening of all FIFA’s Women’s world cup matches involving the Australian Matildas at Granville Park (maximum 5 matches – 31 July - 20 August 2023).

2. The report outline any operational and budget considerations and options to deliver this important initiative to the community, particularly as Australia is one of the host nations of the tournament.”

Alignment with current plans and strategies:

· Our Community Strategic Plan (2017-2027) highlights key issues in social cohesion and the promotion of equity in Cumberland. The community also told us in the development of that plan that they are looking to participate with each other in more community activities.

· One of the key Strategic Goals of this plan is ‘Supporting Community Health, Safety and Wellbeing’. This is achieved though strategies that enhance our sense of community, encouraging participation and providing access to services that improve our health and wellbeing. Our Open space and Recreation Strategy (2019-2029) also prioritises support for increased participation in recreation.

· The Football Federation of Australia (FFA) have provided statistics which in part outline a significant increase in overall football participation, and in particular the participation of women and girls:

- 11% growth in women & girls’ participation

- 6% overall growth in 2018 participation to 1,957,552

Cost considerations

There are no broadcast costs to host a public viewing event for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ providing that the application is assessed as a ‘Non – Commercial public viewing event’. This is achieved by:

· Screening the event with all associated advertisements in full.

· No charges are applied for access to the event.

· Commercial services are not facilitated or provided at the location during the event.

Initial investigations into operational costs estimate around $6,000 per screening and include:

· Hire of a screen

· Generator

· Security

· Possible additional amenities

Location Considerations

The timing of the tournament coincides with our Winter Sport season and as such, blanket bookings and plans are already in place with sporting clubs for many of our sporting fields and ovals.

In addition, due to the licensing as a public viewing of the event as above and no direct access to any catering and / or commercial services for the event, access to existing open businesses is essential.

The times of the games are predominantly after dark, up until an 8pm start time, and as such it will be beneficial to hold in a location that has existing lighting and security appropriate to the event and convenient for residents to attend.

Given this information, the location of the ‘Community and Events area’ space at Granville Park is deemed the best option for these circumstances.

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 is no current allocated budget for the screening of the FIFA World Cup Games. Costs would include the hire and powering of screen, security and associated amenities requirements. This can be reallocated from within the current operational Events budgets.

CONCLUSION

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ is a significant event on the sporting calendar with Australia as a host nation and the Matildas a high-ranking team in world standings. The screening of Matildas games is achievable in the timeframe with suitable locations available and will provide social positive benefits to Cumberland residents.

Attachments

Nil

Council Meeting

7 June 2023

Item No: C06/23-325

Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee - Draft Minutes of Meeting Held on 22 May 2023

Responsible Division: Governance and Risk

Officer: Director Governance and Risk

File Number: HC-06-03-28

Community Strategic Plan Goal: Providing Local Leadership

Summary

This report presents the Draft Minutes of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee meeting held on 22 May 2023 for Council’s information.

Recommendation

That Council:

1. Receive the Draft Minutes of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee meeting held on 22 May 2023; and

2. Appoint Mr Mark Sercombe as the Chairperson of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee for a period of 2 years, in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee.

Report

Council’s Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee recently held a meeting on Monday, 22 May 2023.

The minutes of this meeting will be formally adopted at the next Ordinary Committee meeting being held on 21 August 2023.

Minutes of this meeting are attached for Council’s information. The Minutes include the recommendation of the appointment of Mr Mark Sercombe as the Chairperson of the Committee for a period of 2 years. Mr Sercombe has been acting as the Interim Chairperson since the departure of the previous Chairperson, Mr Stephen Horne in August 2022.

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 direct risks associated with this report. However, the presentation of the meeting minutes to Council provides transparent oversight of Council activities.

Financial Implications

The operations of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee are coordinated by the Governance & Risk Unit within Council utilising existing allocated resources. There are no additional financial implications for Council associated with this report.

CONCLUSION

The minutes of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee meeting are provided to Council for information purposes and to ensure that the review mechanisms of Council operate in an open and transparent manner. It is recommended that Council receive this information.

Attachments

1. Draft ARIC Meeting Minutes - 22 May 2023

Council Meeting

7 June 2023

Item No: C06/23-326

Notice of Motion - Optimisation of Workforce Capacity of Existing Police Resources

Councillor: Steve Christou, Paul Garrard and Helen Hughes

File Number: S488

Summary

Pursuant to Notice, Councillors Christou, Garrard and Hughes submitted the following Motion.

Notice of Motion

That Council:

1. Urgently calls upon the NSW Government to implement the 28 recommendations outlined in the attached Police Association of NSW 2023 document titled “Election issues – 28 recommendations.”

2. Noting that the document references an increase of approximately 30% in urgent calls to NSW Police over a 10 year period where there is an imminent threat to life or property, calls upon the NSW Government to urgently provide NSW Police with appropriate resources to ensure that response times are adequate and are consistent with community expectations in Western Sydney, particularly with respect to the safety of women and children.

3. Write to our local MP’s seeking their urgent support and advocacy on this matter.

Resourcing/FINANCIAL Implications

If supported, the actions outlined within this Motion can be implemented utilising existing staff resourcing.

General Manager Advice

Nil

Signed:

Councillor Christou

Councillor Garrard

Councillor Hughes

Attachments

1. Police Association of NSW Report