Council Decided – 14 November 2023
Young Achiever
Mayor Carolyn Corrigan advised the meeting that Council’s Art Gallery Trainee, Keira Grundy, had recently been presented with the Metropolitan Young Achievers Award at the prestigious 2023 Ministers Awards for Women in Local Government. Keira, who has been working at Mosman Art Gallery since the beginning of 2023, was employed through Council’s Cadet and Trainee Program and will complete her traineeship shortly before moving on to further studies at Sydney University. The Mayor offered Council’s congratulations to Keira, who was in attendance at the meeting and who spoke about her experiences as part of the trainee program.
Festival of Mosman
A Mayoral Minute was presented by Mayor Carolyn Corrigan, congratulating everyone involved in delivering the 2023 Festival of Mosman in October. The biennial festival, held over a 10 day period, was the first held since 2019 after a long hiatus caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2021. Festival attendance was estimated at more than 20,000 people, with over 60 events, exhibitions, workshops and tours delivered by Council and the community. A video of Festival highlights can be viewed here.
MOSPLAN and Budget Quarterly Report
The first quarterly reports detailing progress against Council’s Revised Delivery Program, Operational Plan and Budget for 2023-2024 were presented to Council. The reports identified good progress against service delivery milestones and solid financial results, with a modest surplus still forecast for year end.
Art Policies
Following the recent public exhibition of revised policies for the Mosman Art Collection and Public Art, Council approved a further minor amendment to the Mosman Art Collection Policy and resolved that both policies be adopted. The policies will provide ongoing guidance for the management of Council’s significant collection of artworks.
2022-2023 Annual Report and Financial Statements
Council’s Statutory Annual Report for 2022-2023 was presented to Council, outlining progress against MOSPLAN deliverables during the last financial year and covering a range of statutory reporting obligations. The document also includes a progress report on implementation of Council’s 2022-2026 Disability Inclusion Action Plan as well as its latest State of the Environment Scorecard.
The Audited Financial Statements for 2022-2023, also included in the Annual Report, were tabled at the meeting, illustrating a sound financial position and an end of year result significantly better than the surplus previously forecast.
2024 Meeting Schedule
Council adopted its official Meeting Schedule for the 2024 calendar year. Council meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of every month, with the exception of January when no meetings are scheduled. The timing of Council meeting/s in October will also be subject to the finalisation of results from the September 2024 local government elections. Meetings of the Local Traffic Committee will be held in March, June, September and December, and meetings of the Mosman Local Planning Panel (MLPP) will continue on the third Wednesday of every month from February to December.
Data Breach Policy
Amendments to the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 require that Council prepare and publish a Data Breach Policy setting out how Council will respond to a data breach and establishing clear roles and responsibilities for managing a data breach or suspected data breach. Accordingly, a new Data Breach Policy has been drafted and was adopted following consideration by Council. The new policy is supported by an operational Data Breach Response Plan, which provides guidance to Council staff in responding to a breach of Council-held information and which was adopted by Council’s Executive in December last year. The adopted Data Breach Policy will be uploaded to Council’s website, together with a Notification Register for publication of information about data breaches.
Allan Border Oval Pavilion Update
Council received an update report detailing current progress with the construction of the new pavilion at Allan Border Oval. The report included information on works completed to date, the processes undertaken to ensure continuity of the project and the budgetary impacts associated with builders Lloyd Group entering voluntary administration in March 2023. Council noted the increased budget required for completion of the project and agreed that a completion report be prepared in mid 2024.
Annual Update – Climate Action Plan – Resilience and Adaptation Strategy
A report was presented to Council recommending minor amendments and providing an update on progress against the Climate Action Plan – Resilience and Adaptation Strategy adopted in November 2022. This plan provides a framework for local climate change adaptation as well as building community resilience to deal with a changing climate. Council adopted the amended Climate Action Plan, noting that, as a ‘live’ document, it will continue to be updated as needed, with progress reports submitted to Council annually. Significant actions undertaken since the plan’s adoption to promote and facilitate resilience include a Community Connections Roundtable, youth mental health programs, volunteer support programs, exploration of ‘cool zones’ and identification of a local area management centre. Adaptation actions have included completion of energy assessment reports, planting of mature street and park trees, participation in development of the Greater Sydney Harbour Coastal Management Plan and increased maintenance and inspections of SQID’s, with some SQID modifications also undertaken.
Reid Park Playground Upgrade
Council has recently been advised of its successful application to the NSW Local Small Commitment Allocation – Playground and Park Upgrades Program. Council resolved to accept this grant, noting that it will be allocated toward a complete upgrade of the Reid Park Playground, which was last upgraded in 2005. Minor upgrade works proposed at the Rosherville and Reginald Street playgrounds will be deferred until 2024/25 to allow Council to take advantage of the new grant while funding the balance of works at Reid Park. It is expected that all upgrade works at the Reid Park playground will be completed by the end of 2024 including consultation, design and construction. A report on the proposed playground design will be presented to Council in early-mid 2024.
Pedestrian Crossing Upgrade – Myahgah and Belmont Roads
Following Local Traffic Committee approval and a successful application to the TfNSW Get NSW Active Program, work on a new combined raised children’s crossing on Myahgah Road (at its intersection with Belmont Road) will proceed in coming months. Council resolved to accept the grant funding of $112,111 and to also accept the tender of San Marino Concreting to complete the crossing works. Council will fund the balance of the project, which is scheduled to commence in early January 2024 and be completed by the end of January to minimise risk and inconvenience to school children and their families.
Ministerial Correspondence - Housing
Recent correspondence from the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces calling on NSW Councils to ‘review their local policy settings in the interests of housing supply’ and to ‘identify existing well-located areas where terraces, small unit blocks or well-designed mid-rise departments can be permitted’ was tabled at the meeting. Having considered the correspondence, Councillors resolved unanimously that Council respond to the Minister raising issue with this urgent request to consider greater density in light of current immigration levels and a lack of residential infrastructure in Mosman to support further growth.
Community Representatives – Mosman Local Planning Panel
Council considered applications recently received for community representation on the Mosman Local Planning Panel. It was resolved that shortlisted applicants be invited for interview by the Mayor and General Manager and that a maximum of three new community representatives be appointed to the panel for a three year term subject to completion of all necessary recruitment procedures.