good evening and welcome to our last
council meeting of the year um this
meeting is being held on Zoom uh
councilors and relevant staff are
attending the meeting remotely um and
the meeting is being live streamed and
webcast on the city's website the live
stream of the meeting is audio visual
with a slide also indicating which item
the meeting is considering if you're not
speaking please ensure your microphone
is muted I would like to first of all
acknowledge the original custodians of
the land that we are on the Gadigal People
of the Eora Nation and pay my respects to
the elders both past and present and
also acknowledge the present Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people who live in our city
and the people of the very many nations
who also live in our city and then I'll
go to the prayer Almighty God we thank
you for the gift of this remarkable City
help us to deal with the needs and
aspirations of all its people with
compassion and fairness to plan its
future with wisdom and far sightedness
Amen so tonight in you have myself
Clover Moore the chair have Deputy Lord Mayor
Councilor Robert Kok and we have councilors
Hy William Chan Emelda Davis Sylvia
Ellsmore Lynden Gannon Shauna Jarrett
Linda Scott Yvonne Weldon and Adam
Whirling we have Monica Barone CEO of the
City and directors are also in
attendance um as I said the meeting is
audio visually recorded webcast live and
archived on the city's website and I'm
asked by I'm legislation directs me to
ask you to refrain from making any
defamatory statements ensure there is no
personal criticism directed at any
speaker or Council
Staff um when it's time to vote I will
advise the following all those in favour
say I those against say no where the
votes are not unanimous Erin will uh
inform us of the
result
Erin thank you Lord Mayor item one
confirmation of minutes um I move that
the minutes of the meeting of Council of
Monday 20 November be confirmed seconded
by Deputy Lord Mayor I'll put that to
you all those in favour say
I those against
Carly thank you item two statement of
ethical obligations and disclosures of
interest in accordance with Section 23A
of the Local Government Act 1993 Lord
Mayor and council is abound by the oath of
affirmation or
office um made at the start of the
council term to undertake our civic
duties in the best interest of the
people of the City of Sydney and City of
Sydney Council and to faithfully and
impartially carry out those functions
powers authorities and discretions
invested in us under the Local Government
Act 1993 or any other act to the best of
our ability and
judgment so are there any pecunioary or
non significant disclosures of
interest councilor
Scott thanks Lord Mayor um I would just
like to uh actually in 9.7 make a
non-significant non-pecuniary
disclosure in the public exhibition of
the planning proposal as I did Lord
Mayor at the Committees um there was a
speaker that arose uh during the item
and so I stepped out I declared at the
time that I was a chair and director of
care super which is an industry
superannuation fund and I'm a member of
that fund on the same term as all other
members and note that all Australians
are who work are members of
superannuation funds and at the time I
noted that um K super uh through our
annual report has disguised an
investment Charter Hall the speaker um
made representations to the council was
from Charter Hall whilst I have no um uh
in ACCC in accordance with the code I
have no um uh risk of uh personal
benefit or loss uh I still for an
abundance of caution will step out for
this item uh and ask Lord Mayor that in
the minutes of the committee which are
uh considered in this council meeting uh
that it be uh adjusted to to reflect my
disclosure which is a non-significant
non-pecuniary
disclosure thank you thank you Councilor
Scott do I have any other
disclosures so item three minutes
by the Lord Mayor 3.1 diversity and
inclusion leadership award for
excellence 2023 and inclusive employers
list 2023
2024 thank you Erin I'm pleased to
inform Council that the City of Sydney
was recently included in a diversity city
council Australia's list of inclusive
Australian employers for 2023
2024 this recognition followed analysis
of the city's performance as an employer
across various diversity demographics
and the workplace inclusion and
exclusion experience of our employees
city was also awarded the diversity and
inclusion leadership award for
excellence in 2023 by Urban Development
Institute of Australia and my boss ?
Management Systems nominees for this
award were required to demonstrate that
diversity and inclusion are embedded in
their organization and show their impact
this recognition follows work over many
years to create a more diverse and
inclusive workplace we were the first
local government organization to Monitor
and public report on gender pay equity
for seven years in a row we have defied
Australian Trends with a pay Gap in
favour of women and over half of our
executive and Senior Management are
female our other work has focused on
removing barriers from recruitment
processes and partnering with disability
recruitment agencies and better
measuring cultural diversity in the
workplace and increasing cultural
awareness and the cultural competency of
our staff and managers by introducing
diversity and inclusion training for all
new
employees this year the city introduced
care and culture lead that allows
employees to participate in culturally
important or religious days ceremonies
or activities and is helping ensure our
workplaces are culturally inclusive
we're also implementing our Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Workforce strategy which
recognizes the critical role that
meaningful employment plays in the lives
of individuals and communities this work
led to the increase the percentage of
city employees who identify as part of
of the V diversity groups including
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
with disability people with culturally
and linguistic diverse backgrounds and
people with diverse sexualities and
genders city is established an internal
anti-racism working group which uses the
diversity Council of Australia's racism
at work framework as a guide for
organizational action engagement with
the Multicultural and Aboriginal Torres Strait Island advisory
panels will commence in early
20124 it's important that we may
maintain our focus on this work the
shame for resolve of voice referendum
and the impact of global conflicts
within our community this year has shown
how important it is to promote Harmony
and diversity in every way we can across
both our organization and in the
community so I ask you to join with me
in congratulating the CEO and the
executive and the city staff of
achieving these two accolades and for
their ongoing commitment and hard work
to create a diverse inclusive and
cultural space cultur safe workplace it
would have been much better if we'd been
in a chamber we're able to clap and they
could see us but anyway I think we give
them a clap
now thank you so I'll um
iation so I'll um put the recommendation
to you
all those in favour say I I think there's
a few speakers Lord Mayor didn't see
that thanks Erin um hands up Council
Scott thanks Lord Mayor uh I support
this Lord Mayoral minute and I thank
you for moving it it's great to see the
staff working so hard to ensure that the
city is a place that recognizes the
benefits to all our communities of being
a diverse employer and an inclusive
employer uh Lord Mayor I'm pleased to
see that the motion I moved many years
ago now to measure pay equity across the
different bands of the city of Sydney is
reaping rewards and it's wonderful to
see the city leading uh new southw
councils in that respect that annual
reporting really does hold everybody to
account and it's such an important thing
to do Lord Mayor uh as in my later
notice of motion the city's disability
inclusion uh advisory panel uh would
also appreciate being consulted with
respect to any future employ employment
uh targets and change to the city
strategy and so I just asked that on
page one where you refer to um the um uh
panels that are going to be included
that you include the city's disability
inclusion plan I'm sure it was not done
purposefully um and you did mention them
in your words but it would be great if
they could be included in the text of
the Lord Mayoral minute happy to do
that do I have any other speakers uh
Council
Co thank you Lord Mayor um uh I too would
like to congratulate CEO and and the
staff for this um for this award I think
they chose the the hard work and and um
andity and what um staff has been doing
um you know throughout the the many
years you do in in terms of uh
inclusivity and and diversity um we
we're living in one of the most diverse
um cities in in in the world and you
know Multicultural diverse cities in the
world so um I congratulate um staff on
on on this award thank you Deputy Mayor I
have any other speakers yes um Councilor
Davis congratulations um to the staff
and and CEO um especially in uh taking
note of the systemic racism or institute
addressing institutional challenges
that organizations tend to have
government agencies Etc um I know we've
got a long road to travel and I echo uh
everything that uh has been said here
today and support Councilor Scott's
inclusion which is very important um but
at the same time I think you know if we
can work better together and and make
sure that we have those meetings those
discussions that we need to have um on a
regular basis in combating challenges
especially for people of color in and
that's my you know mantra uh in that we
can um yeah I guess deal with some of
those real grassroots important issues
thank
you thank you councilor Davis do I have
any other speakers no so I put the
motion to you all those in favour say
I those against carried
unanimously there's a procedural motion
now Lord Mayor yes um so um I want to
move item that 12.9 Vale for Dr GK Harrynous
OAM be considered prior to item four so
I expect councelor Weldon would want to
second that I'll put that to you all
those in favour say I those against
carried thank you Council
Weldon can you hear me Lord May yes yes
okay wasn't sure it was going to so um
thank you everyone uh it is with sadness
that I note the recent passing of Dr GK
Harrynous OAM known by many as Dr Harry and
to friends simply as
Harry Dr Harry was a respected and
admired doctor cricket administrator and
community leader he was a mentor to
many and a friend to even
more born in Hyderabad India in 1944
Harry expressed a desire to be a doctor
from a very early age he worked
diligently towards his goal studying
medicine at as Manipal University whilst
also washing dishes to support himself
after completing his degree Harry
migrated to Australia in
1971 after completing further medical
training he began working at the Mercy
hospital in Tasmania after
settling in Sydney Harry went on to open
his own general Practice in Westfield
East Gardens for a period Harry also
served as medical officer for South
Sydney Council during his tenure he
introduced a rehabilitation program and
a returned to work on like duties for
employees who were absent on workers
compensation this groundbreaking program
was commended both for providing a
pathway for Injured Workers and for
improving
productivity as former Mayor Vic Smith
recounted Harry inhouse role saved the
council quite a bit of money too there
is something certainly to be done and to
be said for doing things in
house outside medicine Harry had a
lifelong love of cricket in 1977 he
joined the local Balmain Cricket Club
volunteering as team medic and then Club
president a role he held for more than
30 years driven by passion for the game
Harry went on to serve as chairperson of
cricket New South Wales and as a board
member of cricket Australia he was also
instrumental in establishing the Alan
Davidson Cricket Oval in Sydney
Park Harry was awarded an order of
Australian medal in the uh 2009 Queen's
birthday honours for service to Cricket
through executive roles at the state and
National level and to the
community Harry was was
passionate about Harmony creating
Harmony and increasing
multiculture Australia he had a unique
ability to connect with anyone he met
and to build bridges between
communities in 2013 Harry was appointed
to multiculture New South Wales Advisory
Board and served for eight years as
chairperson when he sat down he extended
the honour of being the first chairperson
Emeritus Harry was awarded the PBS medal
by the President of India in 2017 the
highest honour conferred to Indians
living
overseas I had the honour of sitting on
the New South Wales Australia council
with Dr Harry for a number of years I
can tell you that he is dearly missed I
always look forward to seeing Dr Harry
and listening to what he had to offer
for everyone across our communities he
certainly was very passionate about
ensuring that the new South Wales
Australia Day Council events were
extended Beyond this beautiful city of
ours but making sure that the whole of
Sydney was engaged and ensured that
Multicultural Australia was included in
everything that we done friends who
spoke at Dr Harry's funeral described
him as generous warm and a humble man
who opened doors and moved mountains for
Multicultural communities in
Australia he is dearly loved by his wife
his children Nita Vicram and their
families a council motion cannot
possibly capture the entirety of Harry's
remarkable remarkable life nonetheless I
wanted to take this opportunity to
invite Council to observe a minute
silence and to request that the Lord Mayor
write to John to to Dr Harry's family to
express our collective condolences Dr
Harry made an impact he will continue to
he certainly created Pathways with in
our Multicultural Society but certainly
with the history of this Council way
long before it became the City of Sydney
when he did it for within South Sydney
Council he needs to be remembered and he
certainly should be honoured thank
you thank you Council Weldon so I'll put
the recommendation just a seconder Lord
Mayor councilor Scott has a hand up as a
seconder Council Scott thanks s may i'
just like to a few words yes councilor
Scott thank you to uh Council Welden for
moving this and I also acknowledge I'm
sure uh Dr Harry's family and loved ones
who are watching online uh in addition
to all the very good comments that
councilor Weldon has made I simply
wanted to note uh that Dr Harry's
contribution was acknowledged at many
other local governments including I know
recently at parameter for his incredible
contribution Beyond uh Sydney and South
Sydney although I do acknowledge he had
a very special relationship with this
Council I also just wanted to call out
that in 1977 he joined the balain
Cricket Club uh now the Sydney Cricket
Club as their team doctor at the
invitation of the uh then Australian
cricket board chairman Fred Bennett uh
and pretty remarkably uh over many years
of incredible dedication to that sport
was elected as the first man of Indian
origin to chair Cricket New South Wales
that in itself is a really remarkable
achievement uh but of course he achieved
so much more as councilor welon has
outlined he oversaw million dollar
funding programs from the state and
federal government including a $10
million project to revamp Dro oval and a
$30 million playing and training
facility at black Town including of
course as supporting the funding and uh
upgrade to our own Alan Davidson oal as
has been outlined uh he was an
incredible significant uh person in
Sydney and more broadly across Australia
but every time I met him was so humble
an incredible quiet achiever uh that it
was really uh so unique to uh have him
serve in the many rols that he did for
this state uh his contribution to many
local governments will be very missed
his contribution to the Multicultural
communities I'm sure will be missed and
uh his contribution to and the
facilities that he's left here will also
be incredibly missed uh Lord Mayor I um
understand that there uh has been a
request to the council to consider uh
whether it might be possible to uh think
about naming the uh Pavilion at alen
Davidson oal uh after uh Dr Harry and I
for one would certainly be very
welcoming uh of us undertaking Community
consultation
on that proposal I think that he was an
incredibly honoured um contributor to
this Council as Council Welden has
outlined not only an employee but his uh
advocacy across many organizations was
so significant uh and so I hope that
council is able to progress that request
in some way thank
you thank you coun Scott yes um the CEO
can can that matter and come back to us
um so I like to put the recommendation
to you all those in favour say
I those against carried unanimously so
we'll now have a minute silence Erin
will you tell me when the minute's up
yes Lord ma'am in honour of um so on
Harry thank
you
thank you Lord
Mayor thanks SAR we now move to item
four memoranda by the chief executive
officer item 4.1 appointment of
independent member audit risk and
compliance committee
um CEO do you wish to speak to this oh
only to say Lord Mayor that on the 30th
of November one of our independent
members Ken Barker's uh term came to an
end so we needed to recruit a new member
we went through a recruitment process um
and we're recommending a new person um
uh we want to obviously thank um Ken
Baka for his wonderful service and um
and we're recommending um Steven Horn uh
to be the new member Lord May thank you
thank you thank you CEO um so we have
that recommendation before us I'm happy
to move that do I have a seconder
councilor Deputy Lord Mayor I'll put
that to you all those in favour say
I those
against apologies councelor won I didn't
see your your vote in favour thank you
carried unanimously um 4.2 appointment
of members inclusion disability advisory
panel um CEO do you wish to speak to
this thank you Lord Mayor so four of our
inclusion advisory panel members terms
have also come to an end and so we're
recommending a further for to replace
them Lord Mayor thank you right thank
you I'm happy to remove that
recommendation seconded by the deput
Lord Mayor I'll put it to you all those
in favour say I those against carried
unanimously thanks Erin uh item five
matters for tabling 5.1 disclosure of
Interest
returns so um
do we have any disclosures of Interest
returns we do I'll move that
um would they be received and
noted signed
by may put that to you all those in
favour say I those against declare it
carried uny thank you item six report of
the corporate finance properties and
tenders
committee thank you um deput Lord Mayor
thank you Lord Mayor um Lord Mayor the
um this is the the report on the
corporate finance properties and teners
committee that was held last week um 6.1
the confirmation of minist This was um
carried unanimously and moving on to um
uh 6.2 which was the statement ethical
obligations disclosures of interest um
there were no disclosures of uh interest
in this um in in this uh committee uh
6.3 la um with Investments held as at 30
November 2023 the city's told investment
and cash position was um
87.3 million with Investments earning
interest of 2.7 million for the month
the um this was I carried unanimously on
there 6.4 um is the adoption of
corporate sponsorship policy there is a
relevant to memorandum B before us uh
they relevant to provides information on
how the um how how the city evaluates
the effectiveness of its sponsorship um
uh Arrangements the retail activation
program in pit Street Mall which ends um
this
year and also um it it provides
information on measures to on measures
to ensure that the city is not provide
not not supporting commercial products
and that there is no perception that the
city is supporting commercial products
um it also looks at the um the decision
making and governance framework around
the
policy and um and how how the city's
policies grants and funding mechanisms
uh work together um not mer um now the
item item
6.5 is um the quote Q 20231 075 and
management Acquisitions of contingent
labor there is also a um uh relevant to
um memo to that provides information
about the payment of award rates
depending on the top of work how the
city ensures pre-employment checks are
carried out properly uh and what happens
if an agency worker gets injured while
working for the
city item 6.6 is the contract variation
P1 Community standard
upgrades
um upgrade contract
um 6.7 is the exemption from tender and
contract variation uh corporate risk
management systems and lot May um these
were moved unanimously and um and 6.4
and 6.5 had relevant tools that has been
provided so let I I'll propose to move
um 6 6.3 to 6.7 in in
global 6.3
to
6 right so um I'm happy to second that
councelor Scott um would like to pull
out an item councelor Scott thanks Lord
may have circulated an amendment for 6.5
so I ask that that be pulled
out so an in global motion for uh
6.3 6.4 and then 6.6 and
6.7 so I'll put the global
motion um that I've seconded put that to
you all those in favour say I those
against declare C and so we're going to
go to 6.5 now
um Mayor um 6.5 Lord Mayor is the quote
um for management and acquisition of
contingent labor there is a re those
relevant to um in the um in the paper so
I'll move the um the recommendation
so uh
second Council Waring um uh Council
Scott did you wish to speak on this
thanks Lord Mayor I've circulated an
amendment and uh just for clarity I'll
uh just briefly read out the details of
that so I'm proposing to uh Delete the
recommendation and insert that Council
note the fairw Work legislation
Amendment closing the loopholes Bill
2023 which passed the Senate on the 7th
of December
2023 the bill amends the fair work act
in relation to contingent labour and
regulated labour hire Arrangement
orders specifically also including Lord
May and then I won't read them out but
at least um a large number of matters
that it covers but specifically um
increases penalties for underpayment
compliance notices changes the
definition of employment and minimum
standards uh and also increases um
changes for employee like workers
performing digital platform work Lord
May it's then got another Clause uh the
bill introduces a new criminal offense
for wage theft and an offensive
industrial manslaughter and amends the
offenses and penalties framework and a
final recommendation given the new
legislative framework in place and the
possible personal penalties for the Lord
Mayor and councilorsfor non-compliance
Council requests the city's audit and
risk committee to consider an audit into
industrial compliance with the fairw
Work legislation Amendment closing the
loopholes Bill 23 and report back to
Council and finally Lord Mayor that we
defer consideration of this item until
the matter is undertaken Lord Mayor it
is of course incredibly difficult to
consider this item given that just last
week in the federal Parliament there was
a new bill passed legislating uh these
kinds of Arrangements the relevant two
that we've received from staff and I'm
very grateful for that Mak very clear
that the proposal before us uh does not
comply indeed uh it speaks to the fact
that in a range of areas staff are
proposed to be paid uh the award uh the
city of Sydney has our own Enterprise
agreement and of course uh that has
different paying conditions to the award
uh in some cases the award is
significantly less than the city's Z
Enterprise agreement and therefore if
staff uh under these contractual
Arrangements paid the award Lord may we
are at risk of breaching this new bill
uh the bill as I outlined in the
amendment introduces uh new Criminal
penalties uh which are not insignificant
for directors of companies and in this
case all of us as Bo counselor and so
Lord Mayor I think it is incredibly
important that given the recency of the
bill that we not consider this item
until the audit and risk Committee of
the council has had a chance to have a
look at this and has had a chance to
give us comfort that the city uh is able
to comply and that in particular this
Arrangement would enable us to comply uh
with the legislation that is passed the
parliament for as I understand um uh
this is all a you know quite recent
development from the federal Parliament
but this this bill has been discussed
for many months I'm sure their staff are
very aware of it and the implications
for the council but nevertheless I think
it is very important as directors of
this organization that we're given
comfort from the audit risk committee
before we proceed with this Arrangement
and don't put ourselves at risk of um
all penalties thank you I move the
amendment do I have a second for the
amendment councilor elol um I'd like to
go to the CEO to um to speak to this as
we have a recommendation um to support
this uh proposal and a um a relevant to
as well CEO so thank you Lord Mayor and
we do have Hannah Reed here from our
legal department and we do have Susan
peder here as well so Lord Mayor I I'm
through your I'm confident that you can
adopt this recommendation because the
city will always pay as we're required
to pay um and we will ensure that we
will do that um and so I don't think you
need to hold this up um because of
course I mean this legislation just
recently passed but we're confident that
we will be able to comply with that
legislation and um and we will you know
you know look at that closely as as new
stuff come on board so I think Lord May
that you can proceed knowing that we
will be watching it looking at very
closely and making sure that we do do
the right thing um may I go to Susan
peder or Hannah Reed who might like to
add
something um Susan you're on the screen
I can't see Anna Reed Hanna sorry Hanna
there she is um okay who would like
Susan first and then Hannah uh I I'll
perhaps go first and speak to um look I
think one of the uh benefits that we
outlined about Council going to a
managed service Prov provider is exactly
goes to the heart of this which is that
a large
organization um that does business with
other state governments and local
governments both in New South Wales and
nationally has the sort of quality and
uh compliance and Reporting requirements
that we need to make sure that in fact
we do pay people appropriately that we
abide by any changes in legislation um
Etc and I think we outlined in the
report that um this type of uh
compliance integrity and Reporting and
auditing capability is exactly um what
the reason we move to this MSP model and
it's outlined I think in Clauses 4 7 and
8 and indeed uh prior to um the
legislation that councelor Scott is
talking about um we have done a regular
pay pay audits to to check uh in fact
that we're compliant um with paying
people um appropriately and that they
receive super annuation Etc so as the
CEO has said I'm confident that this
type of arrangement does um provide uh
councilorswith the sort of um Quality
protections and indeed this will take as
as outlined in the confidential
attachment this will take us some time
to
implement um so have a period of time um
to do that um my concern about deferring
it is that this current Arrangement um
this current contract does come to an
end in in January
2024 um and the city is very dependent
on the continued Supply um of Labor to
continue its
operations um Hannah would you like to
add add anything to that through you
Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor um just would add um we were
aware of the legislation the portion of
legislation that did pass being being
passed through Parliament um it's being
worked through and we will ensure like
with other legislative changes that
occur that we comply and that our
contractors are complying as we
Implement um this contract thank you and
Henry is senior lawyer thank you thank
you and so um I I think the report shows
that over the past 5 years the benefits
of the MSP model have been gaining
access to a wider talent pool to service
all parts of the organization
flexibility to respond to changing labor
markets and the city's operational
requirements improve reporting and
transparency ensuring high levels of
compliance police checks licenses safe
work etc simplifying the agency
engagement process for hiring managers
improving the candidates experience and
um an enhanced contract management and
since 2019 the city has made $3 million
in savings from using the MSP model due
to buying the by their buying power
they're able to negotiate more
competitive recruitment agency fees
while protecting the pay of that agency
workers receive and they can Source
workers from a larger pool so I I think
um the report shows it's it's it's a
good thing to be doing and gives us some
fairly convincing arguments to approve
that councilor
ellore thank you Lord Mayor how's my
sound is that okay yesk let me know if I
need to project I haven't got the
headphones on um I wanted to speak
briefly in support of the amendment I I
had a chance to reach out some of the um
Senator's office today to find out where
the local government is included in what
are quite significant changes that were
passed very late by the Australian
Parliament um which many thought we're
not going to pass about the same pay for
the same job now I think you've um
Council Scot's Amendment speaks to the
legal issues and compliance issues and I
think they're really important but I
think it's also important that this
Council have the benefit advice about
the financial implications as you
mentioned the um the benefit for the
city as explained by the staff is that
we saved $3 million since 2019 that it's
about backfilling workers and that um
you get through these recruitment
companies um and they get charged a fee
they get they can charge the city a fee
and they make are able to do that
because they don't pay the worker the
same amount as if the city was paid here
now not all the time I understand that
we don't have a complete list but
they're required to be paid by the award
and often the award is below the amount
that staff doing the same job would be
paid under the city of Sydney Enterprise
agreement if they were played employed
in the same job how much exactly that is
we don't know we don't have that
information before us if for example we
are now required if we enter into this
contract goes for three years and then
another five years are we required to um
if they need to pay the equivalent
salary does that mean that the amount of
fee that we have goes up and the amount
that this contract is worth is stly in
the order of several million dollars
more and that $3 million of savings
doesn't exist anymore we don't have that
information or analysis before us um and
I don't think I think we should have it
because to be honest I think we should
have had a business case before this
three to five year contract was
presented to us um to explain just what
is where is the savings that comes how
much do we save by paying workers less
than the same job and how much much do
we are we um we have a percentage of
fees that are paid to the contractors
but we don't have the figures about how
much exactly the workers are paid and
that's the thing that I'm really
interested in I support Council Scott's
Amendment and I think um it's
appropriate that this be deferred until
we can get that advice that's not just
about legal and compliance but it's
about how much workers are going to be
paid and how much it's going to cost the
council and then we can decide if the
contract is still a good
idea um so CEO Could you um make a
comment on that and then I will go to
councelor Jared well I might ask Susan
to speak about the um the pay rate issue
because of course there's many
negotiations that occur but I do just
want to point out to councilorsthat um
you know as we showed in the briefings
that many organizations have a a
contingent labor contract to help manage
um the contingent labor and every pretty
much any big organization is going to be
using contingent labor so you know if we
don't if someone gets sick in a Child
Care Center tomorrow and we can't
backfill them we will have to close the
child care center so you have to
understand this is we use this for when
someone is sick when someone is on um
Family Leave um when some when there's a
vacancy and we you know and while we're
trying to fill it our goal is to fill
the positions with people who are
permanent staff that is our goal but if
someone can't come in to work tomorrow I
mean there's lots you know someone gets
Co tomorrow or you know there's a spike
in the flu or whatever if we don't
backfill those positions those Services
close if we that happen in Mills on
Wheels we won't deliver the food if it
happen in childcare we'll close the
center if it happen in ush there won't
be after school care so this is a big
organization and um and I don't think
you can just shrug that off and say who
cares I think the people who expect
those services do care and expect us to
have a solution and that's why we have
contract and we have always been
compliant and paid people appropriately
and we will continue to do that but of
course there's new legislation and we
will do as staff has said which is that
we will review it very very carefully
and make sure we do the right thing um
Susan would you like to just comment on
the
financial questions that Council elor
had thank you uh through you love Mayor
um look if I first go to the um perhaps
the pay rates um
I'm not sure it's entirely accurate to
suggest that uh going through agency
labor hire is a way for us to pay staff
less um as outlined in the relevant two
um you can see from the various job
categories that for the vast majority of
um job categories we actually pay above
the award rates and we actually pay
above what the city of Sydney workers
would actually get and that is just
simply a factor of Market
competition um that when we're in the
market for agency labor were often in
the market for um uh occupations where
there's a skill shortage and a skill
shortage means that there's a more
competitive um um salary market and
people can comand higher salaries it's
also true that some people
prefer um to do contract work because
they can charge a premium for that work
so I um I think the relevant two has has
um sought to to address that for those
few
categories um where we do pay according
to the modern um a federal award um as
the CEO has said if there is and it
would be a small difference between the
city of Sydney award and that modern
award if it exists um and we're required
under this legislation um to change that
to the city of Sydney award we would do
so um in relation to um the business
case the overall business case one of
the reasons that the MSP um Arrangement
is more financially beneficial for us as
again as we've outlined in the report is
because of their National buying power
and the fact that they can um reduce the
agency rates um uh significantly and if
we were in the market alone we would be
paying 50% to 100% more for those agency
rates and we know that from previous
practice and from checking those margins
so we are confident that this represents
the most efficient uh manner to procure
L labor sorry through you Lord may I
Susan you mean the rate that the agency
pays to Source the labor not the rate
that we pay the staff correct
this model enables us to get get the
access to those people who have access
to staff at the best price and with the
greatest range of um you know the
greatest supply of people so it means
that they can usually you know hopefully
get us people quickly when we need it
and they charge us less through this
model than how we used to do it um and
we did obviously do a business case at
the time to say to look look at how we
used to do it and how we could do it and
discovered that this was a better way of
doing it and of course we consulted with
other councils who had gone down this
path like the city of Melbourne um and
you know it was the way that people
would were delivering this service now
thank you thank you CEO so we've got a
recommendation before us um so we're on
the amendment Lord Mayor and I think
councelor Jarrett then councelor Ellmore
wish to speak thanks thanks so go to
council
Jared uh thank you Lord Mayor look I
agree with councelor Scott's amendments
and the points raised by councilor
Ellmore um and particularly if we as
councilors are going to be held
responsible for anything that might go
wrong under the legislation and the
contract uh I think we do need to be
given a full piece of advice with
respect to the new legislation and the
effect effects that it's going to have I
assume the contract doesn't expire until
the end of January and there would be
Provisions to enable it to keep going
because we can't sign off on this until
we know exactly what our
responsibilities are children in ch you
know one one child care worker gets sick
tomorrow it all has to close down yes
that might be a possibility but I'm
certainly not going to be supporting
that we adopt it until I'm assured that
we are meeting the requirements of the
legislation which only came in I think
councilor Scott a week or so ago long
after this contract was been worked
through thank
you
and do I have any other
speakers councilor Ellmore Lord Mayor
council illmore I had a question Lord
Mayor I'm aware that I've already spoken
to the amendment I just wanted to um
seek clarification through you from the
staff um if we are this is obviously for
three to um threeyear contract with an
extension um we all care very deeply
about whether or not we can staff our
child care centers and um I would like
the staff to advise if we did not sign
on the contract endorse the contract
tonight whether we would still be able
to access um those contingent workers
when needed um similar to councelor
Jarrett's question I'm assuming we're
still able to do that we're just not
locking ourselves into a three-year
contract where we need to understand
more about that long-term commitment
before M decision that's of
staff may I mean I think we would have
to go into confidential just because of
the nature of what's being
recommended um in order to answer that
question but I think Lord Mayor
adopt staff no they have to have to act
in accordance with the law Lord Mayor
now I understand that councils would
like to understand more about how that
law is being implemented and we can do
that we provided the legal advice on the
quantis case that went to councils on
the 10th of November um and we can get
further advice and can you know can
explain this to councilorsso we do
understand we have to adhere to the law
and we will adhere to the law and um and
we can explain that and I don't think it
means that the council shouldn't can't
proceed which enables us to start
implementing this and we can certainly
provide some advice to councils and we
can do that uh if you want to discuss
that councelor elmore's other question
um you would have to go into
confidential Lord
Mayor um so we really considering the
issue of confidentiality foll following
that advice from the CEO I I find the
case put by City very convincing
actually and I believe we should proceed
Council
Scott thanks Lord Mayor I'm happy to um
hear from councilor Ellmore if she'd
like to go into confidential session or
not about her question perhaps first and
then I had another
question um so Erin have you got the
words there for going into
confidential uh yes yes I do you just
read could you just read them out for us
yeah I think elore has
a yeah it was not my intention to I know
there's a lot of people looking waiting
online for this um question I I to be I
would hope the staff could find a way to
answer the question that would not
requir us to go into confidential are we
able to engage contingent labor in
February if we don't enter this contract
if um and if if it was the case that we
anyway that seems like a pretty
straightforward question that I don't
understand why we would need to go into
confidential for it if we voted against
that this contract tonight assumedly we
would be able to hire contingent labor
in a different way in
January um CEO can you we would have to
go into confidential because I mean if I
was in the chamber I could go and speak
to Susan and and Hannah and just make
sure I've got everything lined up but
I'm not so um I just don't want to make
any mistakes in answering that question
um because of course you know we have a
recommendation before you you know
what's in the confidential and so um I
don't want to make any errors and I
can't just go and check with staff so
going confidential or we don't answer
that question right so I believe we
should proceed
um uh if if I could get indication from
councilorswho want to go into
confidential that might help me make a
decision as chair so could you please
raise your hand if you want to go into
confidential so um I'll therefore move
the rec Commendation that's us Am Lord
Mayor question about the amendment Lord
Mayor if I
might question about the amendment yes
so you moved the amendment why do you
want to ask a question about it it was
just in relation to some of the advice
staff gave for right okay councilor Scot
your question much uh my question is
just about the um audits that have been
undertaken and the CEO statement about
uh wage theft and it's my understanding
that we certainly have had cases in the
past where wages were not compliant with
what was required to be paid through our
contractors and again this is where the
most um significant risk of wage theft
in other organizations that we've seen
publicly
occurs what confidence do we have that
as councilors we will not be incurring
criminal penalties under this act
because of things that have occurred in
the past in the city how can we have
comfort without asking the audit and RIS
committee to look at our practices and
check that they're compliant before we
sign on to a contract given we have had
past examples of this at the city of
Sydney so CEO can you comment on that
yes so Lord Mayor there was a case a
situation a number of years ago where
one of our contractors that run a
service for the city so they were a
contractor was not paying their staff
appropriately as soon as we found out
about it we dealt with it in this case
we are paying the people right so um
Susan perhaps you could elaborate so yes
of course you know there are contractors
and you know they have got a contract
and all their contracts say they have to
pay people appropriately and sometimes
people don't do the right thing and we
see that in the papers all the time that
people don't do the right thing um in
this case though we are getting a a
staff person that's coming to work at
the city of Sydney and so we have a more
direct um you know we not where paying
for that person so we're aware of what
is being paid and that's how we can so
we've got more um control over that and
as Susan and Hannah have both outlined
we know there's new legislation we will
review that legislation we'll be all all
of those people who are you know
providing these services will also be
very aware of this this legislation
we're very mindful that we have to do
the right thing um we know we have to do
the right thing that's our our duty um
and I'm confident that that we will
thank you Lord Mayor thank you Susan do
you want to add anything yeah thank you
Lord Mayor just to um reinforce what the
CEO said which is that my understanding
of of the matter that councilor Scott's
referring to was a service contract will
we paid for a particular service this
not an
agency um not agency staff um and as the
CEO said um this Arrangement allows us
to actually see
the take-home pay the superannuation the
allowances of every single agency worker
who who works for us so that was that
was a different type of arrangement yeah
thank you thank you so Council
chair thank you Lord Mayor Lord Mayor I
won't be supporting Council of Scott's
amendments this item before council is
about the contingent labor of our most
essential city services particularly to
backfill employee leave to fill
temporary vacancies to staff hard to
fill roles staff specific Tim limited
projects and high expertise for capital
projects these temporary agency workers
are fundamental to council operations
being and for Council being able to
deliver its operational and capital
projects as per the commitments given to
the community in our City's delivery
program and operational plan
the types of jobs they fill include PE
include people working in libraries
child care centers for important major
events such as New Year's
evees as well as specialist workers in
the it sector or on our Capital Works
projects that are often time limited
these are some of our most important
services and Human Resources Lord May
has a robust National workplace
relations systems consisting of the
fairwork ACT 2009 National Employment
standards registered agreements and
modern Awards the awards are regulated
and based on professionals and it values
employees and their classification level
based on duties qualifications and
experience these agency workers within
Children's Services educational services
such as teachers or the local government
industry are in fact paid above the
award rate as we have heard from the CEO
and our legal staff this managed service
provider model is lawful in order for us
to backfill and continue the operational
Services of the city I won't be
supporting councelor Scott's amendments
and will be supporting the original
motion thank you Council chair do I have
any other contributions well I'll put
the motion to you talking to the
amendment now Lord Mayor so it's the
amendment that we're voting on thank you
Erin I'm missing having you sitting
beside me I've got to say I'll put the
amendment to you all those in favour say
I in favour of the amendment I have
councel Ellmore councelor Scott uh and
councelor Weldon
those
against against I have councelor Jarrett
councelor [ __ ] councelor Davis councelor
Chan councelor Ganon and Council Walling
and the Lord Mayor the apologies
Erin you put the amendment yes so that's
councelor Scott's Amendment councelor
Scott's Amendment yes can you then put
me in favour of the amendment please
certainly would we like to take the vote
again just to make it clear to everyone
so all those in favour of the amendment
Amendment hands
up in favour of the amendment I have
councelor ellore councelor Scott councel
Welden and councelor
Jarrett and those
against against I have councelor Davis
councelor Chan councelor [ __ ] councel
Ganon councel Walling and the Lord Mayor
the amendment is lost we now move back
to the substantive
motion are you putting your hand up
councilor Scott to speak I think Lord
Mayor yes counc thanks Lord Mayor look
thank you uh for this uh advice from the
staff and for this debate uh I simply
say this uh I oppose this procurement
for a new uh tender because I'm not
Comfort giv the admissions that we've
heard tonight about wage theft from City
of Sydney contractors that we are uh on
firm grounds to proceed knowing that we
are not going to comply um I I
appreciate the CEO of confidence but uh
when we have criminal criminal penalties
on the line uh I think we need more than
that and I think we need some comfort
from the city's audit and risk committee
it it can't be one uh
or councelor um Chan's speech has given
us an outline of the fair work system
the Australian industrial relations
National system actually in New South
Wales the local government SE in the
state system Council Chan's speech has
given us an outline that the projects
hired uh the labor hired under these
contracts are for specific time limited
projects but then we've heard on the
other hand that they have saved us $3
million so either this is for jobs that
are not able to be done by City staff or
we are saving $3 million by underpaying
people's wages Council town has outlined
the federal award system and
acknowledged that city of Sydney workers
are paid above that and yet in many
cases in the relevant two the advice
we've been provided with tonight says
that the staff in this contract will be
paid the award that is the wrong pay
rate under the new laws passed by the
federal Parliament and if we breach
that we are subject to criminal
penalties in accordance with the new
laws this is dangerous what we are doing
it is certainly unethical to underpay
People by $3 million in savings but now
as of last week it is also illegal
passing this risks putting us in the
same basket as quantis and as a range of
other companies that have risked
significant penalties by putting people
next to each other doing the same job on
different wages this is unethical and
now illegal and for that reason I don't
support this item to procure a
contractor to be a middle person to do
this for us it is wrong and we shouldn't
be doing
it I I I believe that um Council Scott
is misinforming us and I'd like the CEO
to clarify what's being been said and
before I go to her I just want to point
out that um the 3 million in savings was
due to the buying power able to
negotiate more competitive recruitment
agency fees while protecting the pay
that agency workers receive and they can
Source workers from a larger pool CEO
could you please um respond to that
misinformation from thank you Lord man I
think you've said it but I'll just
reiterate it the savings come from
actually having getting a better rate
for we're paying the people who provide
the staff and provide all the um
compliance for us a better rate because
of the way we've bundled and purchased
the service it's there they they're
providing this service to us before we
had this managed service provider all of
those different agencies that you have
in that report we would go to
individually and so we would pay more
right and we had less control because we
had so many different
providers you also saw for them from the
briefing that we've been able to vary
the range of people we go to and we've
greatly increased the providers from um
businesses that are Aboriginal and
tourist rate Islander businesses so
we've actually also been able to support
um a broader range of businesses who can
provide a broader range of staff so the
savings are from the management fees of
managing this if we don't there is
absolutely no choice in an organization
of this size but to have sometimes
temporary
staff all organizations have temporary
staff because people get sick people
leave and we have to
recruit um people go on maternity leave
we can't give away their position we we
have to hold the position when someone
goes and maternity leave and we get a
temporary person in even the Local
Government Act envisages that enables us
to have temporary positions this just
helps us find those people when we
cannot find we cannot while we W try to
fill the position
permanently it's just what you have to
do when you run a big
organization as Susan has outlined a
number of times having this better
control means that we've got people who
are much more focused on getting the
compliance right and the compliance is
compliance with all relevant legislation
including this new legislation now we
will get you some legal advice
councilorsabout how we're going about
we already provided you that first lot
of advice that went out to you on the
10th of November that you saw it last
time was very clear right um that was
based on this and we will provide you
for the um uh addition
um advice Susan did you just want to
clarify something there did I no okay so
um so I think what we're saying is this
is this is a service you have to have to
be able to run the council we would
always have to have some temporary staff
or casual staff to be able to run the
council um we know we have to comply
with the legislation and we will get you
some additional advice to give you
comfort about that thank you Lord Mayor
s on the substantive motion Lord
Mayor sorry I said all that on mute
thanks thanks Erin I'm missing you Erin
um so I'll put the substantive motion to
you all those in favour say I in favour I
have the Lord Mayor councel Davis
councelor [ __ ] councelor Chan councelor
Ganon and councel
in those against against I have councel
Jarrett councel Ellmore uh councel
Welden and councelor Scott the motion is
carried thank you item seven report of
the environment
committee thank you uh councelor
Walling could you please take us uh
introduce the matters there the matter
there thank you Lord
Mayor
um councilors and staff members of the
public my name is councelor Adam warling
and I'll be Deputy chair of the
environment
committee um I would like to note items
one and
two as there is only one item on the
agenda today that item is 7.3 project
scope ganima Park stage two and George
Julius Avenue
North at last week's meeting of the
environment committee this
recommendation was carried on the
following show of hands nine yes one no
based on one councelor abstaining since
then we have received a relevant 2 memo
which provides information about the
local bike Network in green square and a
visitation numbers for The Aquatic centr
and park George Julius Avenue will be
part of the local bike Network in the
green square area linking to Epson Road
in the South gadigal Avenue to the north
and zetlin Avenue which intersects e
east and
west from for August September and
October in 2023 the total visitation of
the ganara Aquatic Center and sports
Fields ranged between 64 and 75,000
visits per month in October there was
almost 6,000 total visitors visitors to
the outdoors Sports
field today council is being asked to
resolve that we a approved the revised
design for the Gano Park stage two and
George Julius Avenue North project as
shown in attachment B to the subject
report and B approve the additional
funds sought for the gimo park stage two
and George Julius Avenue North project
as detailed in confidential attachment D
to the subject
report um I would like to move the
motion if there's a second I'm very
happy I'm very happy to second that
thank you Lord Mayor are there any
councilors who would like to speak to
the
item um Council W
Council we're in Council now Council
Waring yes so I'm cheering that's right
Council Wen thank you Lord may I
actually would just like to say that I
will be voting against this I know that
there was a reference made by councelor
wiling about
my oh you've gone on mute can you hear
me yeah thank you yes um as as Council
wiing had actually referred to myself
that I uh voted against it the
information that has been provided is
inadequate um it's stated roughly about
75 5,000 people attend there uh per
month to have 34 uh parking spaces for
people with uh access that cannot ride
the bikes uh that have disabilities or
for people with children and young
families uh and certainly our elderly
that are less mobile I I do not have the
information that's uh addressing those
people that have additional needs and so
I will be voting against this
motion um thank you do I have any other
speakers um I'll I'll come back to you
Council Wy do we have any other speakers
I I'd just like to say that already
33,000 people have moved into to Green
square and it's with an easy walking
distance I know because I live in nearby
Redfern uh and of uh Redfern Alexandria
even s Hills um and there's very very
good Bicycle Connection as well so um I
think that the area is very well
serviced with access Council whirling
thank you Lord Mayor um look just
further to the comment on cast spaces I
actually because we talked about this
last week at committees um and there's
45 cast spaces in zetland Avenue
directly outside the Aquatic Center but
I also went out there on the weekend and
counted yeah um on on um the side street
um there's an additional 22 car spaces
there when you look at the fact that the
pool is open from 6:00 a.m. till uh um
8:00 p.m. um
that's and and it's a car space it's a
it's a car meter metering for two hours
at a time that's seven times each car
space can be filled so when you look at
that it's equates daily to about 469 car
spaces per day when you look at a fact
that about
2333 visitors attend every day we're
looking at roughly about
20% um of our attendees every day have
access to car spaces um in the area um
you know plus as you just said Lord
Mayor you know there's the tens of
thousands of people who literally walk
to um this Aquatic Center and I know
it's only a small snapshot but I spoke
to Three Families um over the past few
days uh who have between two and three
children who I know attend G Aquatic
Center and they they said and like I
said it's only a small snapshot but
they've all said that they never have a
problem in parking there yes you know
you know they have to park nearby um
they but they literally in the streets
around they're not driving around
constantly looking for car spaces so um
I just have to say I I think we're doing
an amazing job with the fact that we are
catering to at least 20% of the people
coming to this Aquatic Center that can
park their
car
thank you Council Waring so Council
Waring has spoken in reply so I'll now
put the recommendation to you all those
in favour say
I those
against against I have councelor Wall uh
Council Welden so the motion is
carried so I think you also had Council
ellore was against too is that right I'm
I'm voting for my apologies there's a
slight time delay I think sometimes in
some of the okay so did you vote for
that
yes and Council W was against thank you
y so carried nine votes to one so next
we're on to the report of the resilient
communities and economy committee yes
thank you councelor councelor Davis
thanks Lord
Mayor report of the resilient
communities and economy committee on
councelor amalda Davis and I'll be
reporting on resilient communities and
economy committee from last Monday the
4th of December
noting that additional information has
been provided about the food grants
following discussion at committee last
week I'd like to note items 8.1 and 8.2
and propose to move items 8.3 8.4 and
8.5 in globo which includes the grant
sponsorship food support grants post
exhibition resilience strategy 2023 to
2028 and the memorandum of understanding
uh for anac day 20 24
2025 so and that's seconded are you
putting your hand up to second that in
globo no who's putting their hand up to
second that in globa Council Council
Chan um so council elore did you want to
take something out yes thank you chair
Lord Mayor um I would like to ask a
question of Staff in relation to 8.3 so
if that can be removed from the globo V
you okay so I'll put um the other items
that um I've that that uh Council Davis
recommended the voted for in globo and
that's been seconded I'll put that to
you all those in favour say
iously thank you and so we'll now go to
8.3 councilor Davis sorry 7.3 sorry no
8.3 8.3 yes are the grants and
sponsorship Foods appro um yes it is
resolved that Council approved the cash
and value in kind recommendations for
the food support Grant as shown at
attachment a to the subject report B
Council note that applicants who were uh
not recommended in obtaining a cash
Grant or value in kind uh for the food
support grants as shown at attachment B
to be subject uh to to the subject
report Council note that all Grant
amounts are exclusive of GST D Authority
uh be delegated to Chief Executive
Officer to negotiate execute and
administer agreements with any
organization approved for a grant or
sponsorship under terms consistent with
the resolution and the grants and
sponsorship policy and E author
Authority be delegated to the Chief
Executive Officer to correct minor
errors uh to the matters set out in the
report noting that the identity of the
recipient will not change and the CEO
update will be provided to council
advising of any changes made in
accordance with this
resolution um so thank you counc Davis
yes is there a second for that
motion I'm seconded by Council Elmo
um councelor ELO
thank you Lord Mayor um I strongly
support this food grants program my I
wanted to the question I wanted to ask
was about um for staff through a you
chair was in relation to um we're going
to have a workshop at the beginning of
the year yet to be scheduled around how
the grants all fit together and I
understand that we committed to discuss
whether we should look at targeting or
um for the next round this grant in
particular given it's a new one for us I
wanted to check whether we'd have a
chance to do that before the February
council meeting I had for ched that I
might move an amendment to um try and
encourage or direct the grants program
um slightly differently for the next
round but I I think ideally it would be
something that could be discussed with
all councilors at the workshop before we
had the council meeting in February so I
just wanted to check that we would have
if we would have a chance to do that
before the next gr R is advertised will
they be before or after our February
council meeting the the next
rounds can you can you respond can you
respond to that CEO yes I may through
you so we'll we we'll be holding a
workshop as requested by councilorsum
in February or March depending we've
sent some dates for you to set aside in
the diary but we'll be looking at a
number of issues that you've raised
around the grants and having an
opportunity for you to talk about that
suggest things you'd like to do
differently um and then we have to then
write the new grants policy that then
gets it you know becomes the council's
new policy right and so we we would not
be changing the in an ad hoc way wanting
to change the criteria of any round
prior to having that workshop and
writing a new Final policy which then
guides the grants um for the future
right so no council elore it's not some
not something that we would be able to
do in time if we want to get the next
round of food grants out as quickly as
possible we need to advertise them in
February as they as people understand
them to be and um bring those back to
council and then then we'll have done
you know a few rounds of the food grants
and we will all have more information
about how they're working and what you
might want to change for the future so
that would be my advice is that you'll
have the workshop that will lead
obviously potentially to some changes to
our policy because there are a number of
things that councilorshave raised about
grants not just the food grants that
will become the new grants policy with
your input um that will go back to
council um but in the meantime we still
keep a number of Grants will be
advertised in February and they'll be
advertising with the current policy
thank you Lord
Mayor thank you
um so we've got a recommendation before
us councilor Ellmore do you wish to to
do anything or you happy to accept this
I'm I appreciate the CEO's advice thank
you um chair I would just I think there
is interest and I believe the commitment
that was made was that we would have a
chance after we' effectively tested the
markets when the first lot came back to
discuss whether we wanted to Target the
second round particular way and I would
I'm not going to move anything specific
tonight in the interest of time I do
have an amendment but I'm not going to
move it um but I would like to suggest
it would be um that the staff consider
bringing that Workshop to forward to
February or at least giving the
councilors um advertising the grants
after we've had our council meeting um
so that there's an opportunity to
considered potential amendments this
would be the last chance we had as this
term of council if we wanted to um
provide some of the turn some of the
feedback we got from the committee into
tweaks to or targeting of our grant
rounds particularly for new ones and I I
understood that's what we were hoping to
do but I'm not going to move an
amendment tonight I'll I just want to
pass on those comments to staff thank
you so um I'll put the motion uh as
moved by Council Davis all those in
favour say
I that's carried unanimously thank you
uh item nine report of the transport
Heritage and planning
committee councelor Hy Chen
thank you Lord Mayor councilors have
received a relevant to memo for items
9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 and
9.7 councilors we have also received
alternative recommendations for items
9.3 and
9.7 we are to note items 9.1 and 9.2 I'd
like to recommend that Council moves all
other items in
glob including incorporating the
alternative
mayoun Scot councelor Scott just has a
um Conflict for item 9.7 and we'll need
to step out so that one will need to
come out okay so we bring out 1.7 and I
knowe the deputy Lord Mayor is seconding
that motion so we take out um 1.7 9.7
yeah sorry
9.7 I is that the only one that is being
requested to come
out good so um
so you're moving the recommendations in
globa yes um and that's been seconded by
deput I'll put that to you all those in
favour say
I those against carried unanimously
thank you um so and some very very good
motions in there so 9.7 so 9.7 and I
know councelor Scott has uh left the
meeting for this
item so this is the public exhibition
planning proposal for the um Sydney
local environmental plan development
control plan policy and housekeeping
amendments um do you want to introduce
that Council chair sounds good thank you
Lord Mayor the report recommends Council
approve the following for public
exhibition LEP and DCP policy and
housekeeping amendments separate
planning proposals for dwelling
retention updates to the city's
competitive design policy guidelines for
Waste Management in new developments and
Landscape code councils have received a
relevant to memo that details the city's
Research into the electrification of
developments that we will begin early
next year and provides an alternative
recommendation that adds a development
control plan provision to not allow gas
appliances in new residential
developments only outlines the cities
propos DCP controls for adaptable and
accessible housing which require 100% of
all dwellings to be silver standard and
15% of dwellings to be platinum standard
this item was carried unanimously by
cspc Lord may I like to move this
alternative
recommendation so that's seconded
byut Lord May um can I go to Graham Yan
because we had a a some speakers at the
central city planning committee um on
this item and um Mr Yan undertook to um
put the matters that they raised to
council
because it was a DCP matter which
Council needs to deal with is Mr Yan
there yes I'm here there you
are thank you hello it wasn't um
obviously the jurisdiction of the
central Sydney planning committee to
consider DCP changes that's the sole
jurisdiction of the council but um the
matters were made available to them and
the committee members were very
supportive of a number of the aspects
that were being proposed in the DCP
um even though they weren't responsible
for it but they even though they weren't
responsible but they actually did make
just wanted us to bring it back to
council yeah yeah so um I'm very pleased
they express those views and um I
commend them to you um that included
what we were intending to do in in
relation to the
electrification um matter and that
allows us to continue to do research on
the tricker aspects and allow the DCP to
include um a proposal for
electrification for residential all new
residential in this current DCP round so
by splitting the two we're able to
uh
respond thank you thank you Mr Yan so
we've got to be moved in a second so
I'll
Cel uh thank you Lord Mayor I wanted to
speak um very strongly in favour of the
resolution and the um Al as noting the
we've got a slightly amended version
that then was tabled at committees on
Monday and um thank the staff I know I
want this this is one item tonight where
Council has received a large volume of
emails particularly in relation to the
electrification and gas ban aspect which
we're addressing through a specific
Amendment and separately through the um
New Provisions which I believe are kind
of maybe the strongest of any Council in
Australia around Net dwelling lofs at
the start staff have put forward which
are excellent um which are to Target um
the loss of those kind of smaller not
formally affordable housing but offering
um relatively affordable housing in our
Eastern suburbs like Paddington and
Elizabeth Bay which are increasingly
being lost to create and being
redeveloped to create small numbers of
Apartments so I wanted to reassure
people because I know there's a number
of people listening that by passing The
Resolution tonight that we are endorsing
those changes that they're going to go
on exhibition next year um and they and
that as far as I know all the emails
that we received um bar one strongly in
support of those changes and very
pleased that the council is showing this
leadership role in protecting that um
form of diverse housing in our city
separately on the um gas ban councils as
as um gram Yan our director of planning
mentioned we've um during the debate at
committees earlier we as a council
endorsed stronger than um I think any
other Council plans to look at ways we
can ban gas um in our um not just
commercial but residential the amended
um version of the resolution we will
pass tonight will mean that um we are
going to um immediately um I'm going to
read it because I know there's people at
home that don't know this but gas
cooktops gas ovens and gas internal
space heating systems are not going to
be permitted in new res residential
development instead electrical systems
should be installed um but I although
we're not passing any changes around
commercial um Banning gas in commercial
I also wanted Regal councilorsthat um
the people listening at home and it's in
the relevant to from staff that the city
has some already very strong Net Zero
electrification rules in relation to
Commercial and that we endorse those as
a council relatively recently and came
into effect um this year and those Exist
by the additional work that um the staff
are currently doing that director
planning previously spoke to at
committees which will implement the rest
of we passed a few months ago so it's
all very good news I just didn't want to
let um this motion pass without speaking
to that knowing what a high level of
community interest there is in those two
matters and acknowledging how much work
has been done by the staff behind the
scenes that are really kind of council
leading um Provisions that I think are
going to make a real difference in our
community so thank you that's what I
wanted to say thank you Council ellore
so I'll put the uh recommendation to you
all those in favour say
I
in y sorry I think that was unanimous
unanimous okay y so I carried
unanimously so we're just bringing
councelor Scott back into the
meeting uh and item 10 questions on
notice item 11 supplementary answers to
previous
questions
of thank you thank you Erin uh item 12
notices of motion uh 12.1 reopening the
Darlington activity center for use by
the
community so um I I suggest where you to
have a break before we start notices
motion I might move that we have a break
for 15 minutes that's
seconded by
councelor Hy William Chan I'll put that
to you all those in say I those against
declare it carried so we'll come back in
15 minutes should we
and we're live uh so item 12 notices of
motion 12.1 re reopening the Darlington
activity center for use by the
community so um Council
Ellmore thank you Lord Mayor is my sound
okay good yes yes thank you I'm I'm very
pleased to um move this notice of motion
um as the final one of the year but also
um one that has come as a result of a
lovely Community camp campaign for
residents in my local area Darlington
about the Darlington Activity Center
which is uh just around the corner for
me so for people who are not um aware of
the center this is on 132 to 134
Shephard Street Darlington it's a center
that was built by the old South Sydney
Council in the 1960s and it has been
closed since Co I was uh the staff were
kind enough to organize a tour for me
about a year ago but I I understand that
the center's been closed and there's no
plan currently to reopen it I was
approached by some res resents who have
started a survey of other local
residents who would like to see the
center reopened um they've had a survey
that so far has had 95 responses at
least it was a week ago it's still open
it may now be more than that and they've
also held a small community meeting this
notice of motion passed on requests from
that meeting and from the survey as it
was circulated to councilorsand not
surprisingly just uh it's quite a long
notice of motion um but the key things
that were interesting I mean obviously
things that Council already knows that a
a lot of the actions that people
suggested that they were looking for a
space to support were things that um
were around connecting neighbors that
could be Community Le so the most
popular activity for people wanted to
see in that um community space which
currently is used it's all locked up but
has so many Gardens out the front that
people quite commonly sit on the
furniture there they walk their dogs
they take their kids in sometimes to
play around um look at the windows and
say what's happening with this big space
we'd love to get in there and do some
Community things um but the most popular
responses about that people identified
they'd like to do was around art
programs and workshops that we know is a
lot of a big need for creating space in
our community community choirs or
creative performance or ex exhibition
spaces and there's some quotes and the
notice of motion from some of the
artists who are involved in this
campaign talking about the challenges
especially if you're involved in
experimental art or um art that doesn't
have much of an audience that it can be
too much to even pay a couple of hundred
bucks to hire space when um you may not
get that audience and this that having
an um open community space for Council
that you can come and do that kind of
either rehearsal or put on shows is much
needed gentle exercise programs
Community groups including mothers
groups children's and Family Programs
and Community gardening was um some of
the main things that people wanted to
talk about um as I said the common theme
was the desire to bring the local
community together and there was a
discussion we've talked about it before
about people feeling disconnected
particularly postco it's an area that's
seen a lot of change we have public
housing only of Lo away we have
international students we have Terrace
houses where students have moved from
attending Sydney uni or other Union we
have a lot of international students a
lot of people working deliver and other
kind of casual work and older people
who've lived in Darlington for a really
long time but communities that are
looking for spaces to connect um people
are aware of the other Council centers
that are in the area but saw that there
was a real need for a kind of space that
they could get in and hire themselves in
the sort of community Le things that
they wanted to do which is loveely so
the request from the community very
specifically is that at Point D that the
CEO be requested to provide advice to
Council on how the dington activity
center could be reopened as soon as
possible as an unstaffed community space
for hire by local residents for Council
to organize an open day or tour of the
Darlington activ activity center for
local residents in early 2024 to make
Council staff available for residents to
learn about what programs grants and
supports are available for Community L
activities including for Community
Gardens and arranged for the furniture
that has recently been removed from the
center and was being used by residents
to be replaced and for the repair of the
other damag seating to be undertaken as
a priority um and also for Council to
note the results of the survey which I
said is still ongoing so I think this is
a relatively modest request from Council
to say we would love to get back into
this space we feel the need for this
space we've talked to our our local
Neighbors about what sort of things we'd
like to see in that space and and
there's a gap there that could
complement the program the other city
has and as's a first step asks if the
council can facilitate um telling them
what programs and supports are currently
available and get into that space and
for us to receive advice about what
options we could have to reactivate that
Center so it can get used by the
community again it is a very big space
it was being used as a creative space
before it was closed and we know we are
re losing those creative spaces in our
city so it seems strongly in line with
the kind of programs that um and
policies and strategies and priorities
that the council has
and there yeah what was really
interesting too was sitting in that
meeting we had a community meeting just
outside the center on the um some of the
pop-up Furniture was how much consensus
there was between the different
neighbors to do complimentary things
nothing kind of contradicted with each
other um and this overwriting desire
that they wanted to have that local
space where they could connect with
their neighbors which was what that
space was previously used for um I
really hope that we can deliver for
those local residents tonight or rather
start on the journey to do that thank
you thank you councelor elore I'm I'm
very happy to second that and I uh
compliment you on your the this is a
community building project and I think
it's
try councilor elore councelor Davis um
yes I'd like to commend councilor
illmore I think that's it's great to
revitalize this community center and we
know just how important they are um for
the mob around that area as well so it's
a really good um proposal that you're
putting forward here and I look forward
to seeing uh how the staff work with
community and making sure these
wonderful uh checklists are are met
thank you um councelor Scott thanks Lord
Mayor um I'm just um wondering if I
could ask St through you why the center
wasn't reopened after
covid um CEO can you respond to that so
we were using it as an overflow for Pine
Street and then when Pine when we went
into to co there wasn't the need and so
I think what's there's two reasons one
is that there just wasn't the demand to
do that overflow although Council ELO
has just not said that um people would
like more creative activity so maybe we
could go back to using you know to also
having some Pine Street activities there
um but it needs repair so it's on the
list now that needs repair now we've
been through I mean I've just got a list
of all the community facilities that
we've upgraded over the years we've done
I think all of them except I think this
one so um it just it does need some
repair now I don't know that it's really
fit for use so you'll know um we did the
the you know um I think we've done
nearly all of them now um so I think it
was just on that list of things we had
to get around to so thank you Lord Mayor
thank you councilor Scott you wish to
speak thanks Lord Mayor uh look I just
strongly support this notice of motion
it's a lovely little Community Center um
my children did Pottery down there and I
know for many years it gave um many
senior residents Podiatry checks and
other public health checks it's an
incredible uh Center that provided
incredible services that I know
community members across the years have
been incredibly supportive of and it's
lovely to see people in dington uh and
I'm sure from slightly further field in
chal and other areas coming together to
support the center reopening again um I
wondered if uh
councelor might be amendable in point D1
where we ask for advice from the CO as
to how the center should be reopened
soon as possible as an unstaffed Center
whether we might just be able to use um
add the words um as an unstaffed or
staffed so that we could get advice on
both um I've certainly heard from
residents across a range of City
community centers that they'd like some
more City staff to help them coordinate
some of the activities uh that they used
to provide and so it would be great to
see advice on both those options uh
coming back to council so we could have
a look at what might be appropriate for
the next city budget of course uh we'd
love to hear the community's views about
this but I just think it would be great
if we could get advice on both of those
options if Council Elmore was
happy through you chair I'm I'm happy to
respond to that through you Lord
May um yes so look I I think that's I
mean I would love comp comprehensive
advice from the staff about staffed or
unstaffed is a very good idea I think
one of the things and it may not be as
expertly worded as it could have been in
point D1 is that there was a real desire
from the community to get into the space
right away and um an acknowledgement
that it would be a good outcome but not
the outcome the community was seeking
for the center to undergo say a major
renovation and not be available for
three years that what it's really hoping
from the council is that um the council
can come and do a kind of open day and
explain okay these are the issues with
the building if there are some but to
see what possibly we could use the
center could be used for straight away
similar to be honest quite to May Bank
um which isn't staed and least um and it
was a bit rundown it looks much better
condition than that one was but there
will need to be a long-term plan and
that would mean that all of the bits
would need to be working the site is
such that you could close parts of the
building if um repair was being done so
the intention of including unstaffed at
D1 was not to say that the community
wasn't in support of Staff being there
it was to say
setting some opening straight away to
basically unlocking and making that
space available at all hours was what
the community was after so it's
available on the weekends and the
evenings and I don't see inconsistent to
have staffed or unstaffed with those
comments just to make clear that I'm
passing on what the feed the feedback
the community was asking for to get in
there as soon as possible and that
didn't they didn't see that requiring
they having to be a stff administrated
away does that make sense it
does um so it's like a minor renovation
to a house rather than a
major major redo please don't close for
major Renovations when minor minor
Renovations are possible please come and
explain to the community what rations
are required yeah okay all right so I'll
put the mo motion um it's been moved at
second may just moved a very small
Amendment accepted accepted as a
variation I was accepted as a variation
so I
the the motion to you all may say I
those against carried unanimously thank
you item 12.2 let's go let's get on with
Town Hall
Square councilor Scott thanks Lord Mayor
well um they say a week is a long time
in politics but even if construction
begins on the new town hall Square on
the dot of 2035 it will be around 2,600
weeks since it was proposed by former
labor Lord Mayor Doug southernland in
the 1980s 1600 weeks since the city of
Sydney announced an ambitious plan to
purchase buildings opposite town hall
and I'm ultimately demolish them for
open space in
2004 and more than 800 weeks sadly since
the Lord May promised to new Civic
Square over the next 10 years in
2019 more than 700 weeks since the Lord
Mayor said in the city news and I quote
we will prioritize plans for a new town
hall Square opposite Sydney Town Hall in
2021 we have announcements we have
promises but we do not have a costed
public domain plan to deliver on those
announcements and
Promises it is often said that failing
to plan is planning to fail and it
certainly has been the case sadly in the
case of the new town hall Square because
we don't have a costed public plan we
don't have a timetable for this new
square and the time frame has been
pushed out again and again and again
with ad hoc decisions uh like the one
taken by the Lord Mayor and her team
last May to extend the leases for the
properties on the land needed for the
square out to
2035 if Sydney is to take its rightful
place as a global economic Powerhouse we
need to make sure our city is one of the
best places to live and work in the
future for far too long Sydney has
relied on our natural beauty our Harbor
to attract people to our f
it's long past time to create a great
Public Square that gives our CBD access
to open granden space in the center of
our CBD to create public events for this
space for the wider city of Sydney
Community the new town hall square is
strongly supported by business the
Sydney Chamber of Commerce supports it
and described the square as being an a
quote an asset for the city for years to
come it's supported by Architects and
town planning Experts of course
including the internationally acclaimed
urbanist Yan Gil is supported strongly
by those who live and work in our city
but with no plan no costings no time
frame it just can't be said that it
continues to be supported by the Lord
Mayor and her team these promises the
Lord Mayor has made time and time again
over the years must be matched by action
if this transformative vision of a
Public Square at the heart of Sydney is
to be anything
than I move the
motion is there a second for the
motion Council
Jared do you do wish to speak councilor
Jared no council
Walling uh thank you Lord Mayor um thank
you councelor Scott I have to say I
cannot support this notice of motion it
does not tell the full story it's
important for the public to understand
the evolution of town hall square and
your motion doesn't capture that as
recently as you mentioned in May this
year the council voted unanimously to
support the next stage of the
transformation of central Sydney this
included the stage delivery of Sydney
Square in
2027 which has already begun staff are
currently developing the concept design
when yanel was here he did a workshop
with the city to provide input Town Hall
Square will commence from
2035 again to reiterate that timeline
and that intention was unanimously
supported I trust City staff's
recommendations and therefore I stand by
my vote on this
item Lord Mayor just on
mute I do not support this motion and
I'm giving notice that I will move an
alterate motion if Council Scott's
motion doesn't get
up do I have any other speakers
I'll put councelor uh Scott's um motion
to you um it's been moved by uh by her
and seconded by councelor Jarrett all
those in favour say I in favour I have
councelor Scott councelor Ellmore
councelor Jarett councelor Ganon and
councelor
welen and those against against I have
uh the Lord Mayor councelor Davis
councelor Chan councel Walling and
councel [ __ ] the vote is tied and I
declare that
is um is
lost uh so the motion is lost and the
Lord Mayor has foreshadowed an
alternative motion um and it's I'm going
to go through the detail because I think
it's really important that people hear
it um my alterntive motion is that it is
resolved that Council note the following
timeline of decisions and the City of
Sydney action to create more space for
people in central Sydney including plans
for the future Town Hall Square in 1982
Doug Southern Le the Doug Southern Le
Council resolved to acquire properties
on George Street to deliver an extension
of Sydney Square in 1984 Doug sou the
Doug Southern Le Council resolved to
extend the acquisition area to deliver a
future Park Street Square in 1989 the
Jeremy B Bingham Le Council resolved to
extend the acquisition area to deliver a
town hall Civic Precinct and George
Street over this time progressively
became more congested over the next 15
years in 2004 I was elected as Lord
Mayor with an independent team with a
commitment to light rail in 2005 um a
light rail plan was developed by
transport planner Gary glazbrook and in
2007 young girls public space public
life report recommended a George Street
pedestrian Boulevard from circular key
to Central and three City squares at
circular key town hall and Railway
Square in 2008 this proposal was
included in sustainable Sydney 2030 in
2008 the state lab government proposed a
metro link to connect the CBD with the
inner and outer city suburbs it included
a stop at pit Street adjacent to a
future Town Hall Civic Precinct the
council considered accelerating the
proposal for the Civic Precinct but the
state government abandoned the Metro
project then in 2011 a coalition
government was elected and gladesboro
jigan became transport Minister and I
lobbied her for the light rail on George
Street in accordance with young girl's
recommendation and sustainable City 2030
in 2012 the new southwales government
announced a 1.6 billion light rail line
in George Street from baa Street to
Hunter Street
the city contributed $220 million to
this for public domain works this
contribution increased significantly to
a total of over $300 million when later
the project was extended to Circular key
and Central
Station when complete the fully
pedestrianized George Street it's gone
dark in my room as you probably noticed
it's got quite dark um when complete uh
so it's all right the fully
pedestrianized George Street will have
claimed uh when complete the fully
pedestrianized George Street will have
reclaimed over 20,000 Square MERS of
pedestrianized space with over 6,000
square meters more in design and
planning that is on Bond Street Margaret
Bridge Alfred and daily streets and this
is compared with the future Town Hall
Square which will be 5,600 square meters
so you have what we've done already
20,000 square meters and you have 5,600
M which is will be the the space of the
uh the the square opposite Town Hall the
council has planted 100 extra trees and
provided wide Granite pav foot paaths
modern Street furniture and lighting
importantly there are people everywhere
on our seats having conversations on
their devices or just people watching
passes by the George Street pedestrian
Boulevard has attracted 8 billion worth
of investment including businesses like
pasp katier vuon Burberry as well as ER
young and Salesforce
in October 2021 Council unanimously
supported to approve the town hall
public domain plan for Sydney Square
between town hall and St andreis
Cathedral and Town Hall square and park
stroke duu streets it noted that the
project priorities required further
advocacy consultation feasibility
assessment and design development in
collaboration with transport New South
Wales to inform future Capital Works
budgets to be adopted by Council in June
2022 Council adopted sustainable Sydney
2030 to 250 continuing the vision with
the three link squares at circular key
City Town Hall in Central in May 2023
Council unanimously resolved to deliver
Town Hall Square after 2035 to extend
commercial leases until then and
immediately develop a concept designed
for Sydney Square between town hall and
St Andrews Cathedral at that time the
city resolved to spend approximately 35
million delivering Sydney Square
upgrading 6,500 square meters of public
space young girl's recent visit in
November was to participate in a
workshop with other stakeholders to
provide an input into the planning for
Sydney Square between town hall and St
Andrews Cathedral a future Town Hall
square officite town hall is currently
estimated to Cost U up to $300 million
including property acquisition rental
revenue for gone during delivery and
construction and will require State and
or federal government funding Council
also note that the city is not the only
level of government to involve in in
City Planning and decisions um the state
government plays a very serious role and
in this case the George Street we had
the George Street Light Rail subst
substantially change cities the city's
priorities Council re-evaluates projects
in terms of maximizing benefits to the
city and City communities the Light Rail
and George Street was recommended by
young girl as a city planning consultant
as the best solution to the main spine
of the CPD the pedestrianization of
George Street in adjacent streets is
providing more than four times the
people space that is 26,000 square
meters the proposed Town Hall square of
5,600 square meters and is serving not
just one area but the length of the city
benefiting people and businesses Council
must be financially responsible and the
high costs of the George Street
pedestrianization which is of such
enormous benefit to our Global City
including extended Associated Works has
meant that other projects such as the
square opposite Town Hall had to be put
on hold and vital sources of revenue
such as commercial leases have had to be
renewed so that's my um my my um uh
alternate recommendation and um that
that tells the story of of the uh the
um the humanizing of the city I think is
probably the best way of describing it
um and I have to tell you I was at um
that wonderful concert at the recital
Center on Saturday night um at Noel Noel
and when we came out at at 900 p.m. the
city was absolutely throbbing um Martin
place was full of of people um as was of
course George Street and
um there has been just postco and
Renaissance of our of our of our Central
CBD area and I think we can all be very
very proud of that and um and if if you
haven't been down to Martin place to see
the wonderful Christmas tree or walk
through pit Street and see the beautiful
um uh drapery of of of of lights or
checked out um the qvb or even seen the
beautiful um uh lighting uh feature that
we have on on on the wwor building now I
do urge you to do it because I think we
as councilors we can be very proud of
how our city is looking for this
Christmas especially postco so I I I
recommend that motion to you I hope I
have a second
up Council
Walling Council Waring would you do you
wish to speak on this
uh thank you Lord Mayor um I would like
to speak in support of the alter
alternate motion you
propose we're not sitting on our hands
and dollars at the city George Street
has seen a complete and utter
transformation under the Lord Mayor's
leadership we' have seen the entire
spine of our CBD from circular key all
the way to Central turned into a
pedestrian
paradise and as she's just reminded
but just a few months ago in my day job
I hosted my International client uh from
uh Denmark yorgensen who had not been to
Australia for years they could not
believe the beauty of George Street that
is where their flagship store is here in
Sydney and the ease that they could get
around they said the pedestrianization
outside their George Street store was
reminiscent of their flagship store in
Copenhagen a city renowned for its urban
planning and
design even today as I was prep
preparing for this council meeting I
looked outside my office window and saw
every single seat bench in sight
occupied by residents and visitors and I
know that Yan gel also said that when he
was having an interview with a a
journalist he said I'd like to go sit on
one of our park benches he said but
every one of them's full um the light
rail has also delivered 8 billion doar
worth of investment along George Street
which was once clogged with noisy
polluting
buses but look at it now it's new Paving
it's lighting it's Street Furniture
interesting laneways and celebrated
businesses on every corner I also know
through my you know life in the fashion
industry that international business are
are fighting to get into the George
Street precinct so yes priorities shift
and change this idea began in the 80s
and it is evolving as the needs of our
residents do I support the Lord Mayor's
alternative motion and at the same time
I'd like to congratulate her on the
ongoing vision and commitment to to
humanizing Central
Sydney thank you Council Waring do I
have any other speakers Council
Scott is that your hand up no can you
put it down you have a hand
up hand up sorry you do on my screen
look come and have a look I'm not
lying a little white hand sitting
there no um yeah if there are no other
speakers we can go to the vote Lord
Mayor um so we um so we'll go to the
we'll go to the vote Yes there aren't
any other speakers I'll put the um
alternate motion to you all those in
favour say
I those
against against we have councelor Scott
councel Jarrett and councelor welen the
motion is
carried thank you what a Pity it's not
unanimous the support for
CBD all right so um Erin item 12.3
numbers of vacant public housing homes
in the city of
Sydney so
um councelor coun councelor
elore thank you councilors this is a
relatively short notice of motion that
asks Council to note some information
that um is from the J government quickly
to speak to this motion Council resolved
on the 18th of September for the Lord
May to write to the minister for housing
and homelessness Express and concerns
we' received about reports that public
housing was being kept untenanted for
extended periods and we requested
information about the number of vacant
public homes recently in answers to
supplementary questions in the new house
Parliament budget estimates we've leared
that there are currently 267 public
housing homes vacant that is untenanted
in the city of Sydney and that's around
500 bedrooms that number is concerningly
high though obviously some of those will
be people transitioning I knowe the
other data that we have is that um
nearly all of these properties don't
require maintenance we know that a
number of those properties are being
kept vacant pending some development
application that may not have even been
improve approved yet um the last Point
ask councils to note that that includes
that 16 of the 17 properties at 82
Wentworth Park Road Glee are currently
vacant that is a property for which
there is a DA pending but not approved
it's also we're going to discuss it in
the next item it's opposite um
Collective of people sleeping rough in
Wentworth Park but it is currently 16 of
the 17 properties are vacant this notice
of motion asks the council to note
that so um Council Ellsmore I'm happy to
second that I think that's a very good
motion I've been trying to get that to
happen for many years I've got to say
making sure that housing is is occupied
at all times so um speakers other
speakers I'll put the motion to you all
those in favour say
I it's carried unanimously thank you
item 12.4 supporting the Community
Vision for public housing at 82
Wentworth Park Road GLE councilor
Ellmore councilor El thank you I'm very
pleased tonight to bring another notice
of motion at the request of the
community specifically um groups known
to many of you hands off Glee and the
GLE society and a number of other public
housing tenants and um locals of GLE
who've been working to maintain 82
Wentworth Park Road GLE public housing
to speak to the notice of motion so so I
think we've spoken about this several
times before this is um the motion asked
that Council note 82 went withth Park
Road is a small public housing complex
in Glee the New South Wales government
through land and housing who owns the
land is proposing to knock down and
rebuild that public housing they've
lodged a development application with
the city that will be determined on
Wednesday by the local planning panel
the da from land and housing proposes to
replace the existing 17 public housing
Terraces and apartments with one to
three bedrooms um it will increase the
number of bedrooms up to 53 from the um
current
27 I am a um I'm asking Council to note
that until recently this public housing
was home to a diversity of public
housing tenants including families older
people a people and people with a
disability as we just me discussed it's
now nearly empty tenants have been
progressively evicted and relocated some
of those tenants had lived at 82
Wentworth Park Road for more than 20
years the building's pretty new it was
built in 1980s by the former New South
Wales Housing Commission designed by the
head of what was the inner city project
team John Gregory um that team was
responsible for much of the
refurbishment restoration and infill of
what we know as the gleber
state the community with the support of
the GLE Society in hands-off Glee have
developed an alternative Community
Vision for what could happen on that
site which they have presented to n well
Minister for housing and the land
housing Corporation the community's
alternative design which has been
circulated councils is is a concept but
a very detailed one and it shows really
practically how the new South BS
government could choose to renovate and
infill this development that would be
more sustainable and it could involve a
design where you were not losing all of
the open space for the community you
were not losing the balconies you were
keeping the parts of the building that
were lovingly designed in the 80s to
connect the neighbors that were going to
live there um and it would also be it's
costed as being 7 million dollars
cheaper to deliver the same number of
bedrooms I think one different this
notice of motion asked Council to um
note and commend the community's alter
alternative vision for the renovation of
82 went West Park Road it also asked
Council to form a position to formally
oppose this development this is not
something that we can normally do
because when as a DA being determined on
delegation by staff but because there's
been so much Community interest it will
now be decided by the independent local
planning panel and um I'll get St to
conver this through you chair if needed
in terms of what council can legally do
that we as an elected Council can choose
to form a position now on this
development and we can choose to
advocate for example that it would be
better for land and housing Corporation
to consider infill infilling and um
renovating protecting the parts of the
building that work which would be better
for the environment but would be cheaper
and would also mean years and years are
taken off the time that would take to
redevelop these sites this is what we
want to see instead of a knockdown
rebuild approach to public housing which
unfortunately we are seeing continue
under the labor government started by
the liberals so you'd ask Council just
to recap to do those three things to
note and um amend the community for
their alternative Vision I want to
mention heab Abrams the um Heritage
architect who has been working with the
community and has put out these plans as
a community resource to use to advocate
for this approach to oppose the
Demolition and agree to make
representations to the New South Wales
government and the local planning panel
outlining the council's
position so thank you council elore do I
have a second
up well I'm I'm happy to um Council
Scott second it that councilor
Chan uh thank you Lord Mayor I too want
to commend the community GLE society and
hands of Glee for their alternative
vision for the renov of the ag2
Wentworth Park Road Glee which has been
developed in association with Hector
Abraham's Architects my changes the
majority of which have been adopted by
councilor ort aim to clarify in the
proposed development application the
number of Bedrooms First is the number
of Apartments as well as the apartment
typology mix that the principle for the
refurbishment of buildings over
demolition is important and is to be
supported giving its sustainability and
financial benefits that this case the
development application has already been
lodged and assess and it's about to be
determined which is the reason for the
deletions I want to note to council that
it's up to the New South Wales
government to determine if the
alternative approach is adopted City
staff was still obligated to assess the
da that was lodged as the council is not
the consent Authority in relation to the
application I acknowledge that councelor
Ellmore has accepted the addition for
the Lord Mayor to write directly to the
New South Wales Minister for housing
requesting that she consider upgrading
and refurbishing buildings over
demolition in all future land and
housing Corporation redevelopments
including the building at 82 Wentworth
Park Road Glee as proposed in the
community's alternative vision for this
site this amended part e is to replace
Clauses C2 and three as well as D the
community's alternative Vision right
demonstrates that the renovation and
infilling of the site would enable
increased accessibility while minimizing
the length of vacancy under a complete
rebuild furthermore it has been put
forward that the alternative scheme
could result in a similar tendency yield
to the lack proposal at a drastically
reduced cost the alternative scheme
results in 52 bedrooms which is only one
less than lack full rebuild it is
asserted that this will save $7 million
with a reduced cost of $14 million for
the alternative renovation it's
important that the minister considers
this thank you to the Glee Community
Glee society and hands-off Glee I urge
the New South Wales Minister for housing
to seriously consider the win-win
benefits of the community's proposal and
I hope that this amendment will set a
precedent for refurbishments to be
prioritized over demolition in all other
new southwes government land and housing
Corporation
social housing sites I like to move my
Amendment and commend it to
council so that's signed by um I'm very
happy to incorporate um that Amendment
Lord Mayor which just to clarify is to
remove points
C2 through to
D6 um everything else would be as per I
had moved with um an updated version of
the original
motion thanks Council ELO
um I I think it's a it's been a terrific
partnership between the the Glee society
and Hoff Glee to uh to and and with the
support of of of the the architect
Hector what's Hector's other
name
Abrams yes um and and I I think what
they've done not only are they
potentially getting a better outcome on
this particular side it in Glee but I'm
I'm want to ask the minister to um
consider this approach um because of the
cost savings um and getting a better
outcome socially physically and
particularly environmentally I mean we
have already achieved uh environment um
uh important environmental
sustainability achievements in two major
sites in the city of Sydney one on the
site
and one on the uh Greenland side but two
of the most significant developments
that have happened in recent times in
Sydney because those developers um with
their Architects have been able to
retain um significant parts of their
buildings and and recycled it and um
thereby reduced the emissions of those
developments and of course here if the
the renovation re um and and
refurbishment of those dwellings is
achieving the same sort of outcome um
and and in terms socially it's keeping
the community together and and
physically it's protecting the um
Heritage environment of of Glee so it's
it's it's a really terrific outcome and
it's a really good example to the
minister of what can be achieved in the
future and I think that's probably you
know it's terrific for Glee but I think
it's also terrific for her consideration
of an advice that she will give land and
housing Corporation into the future
about the approach they might take to
revitalizing
um lack H lack housing so I I think it's
um it's an excellent notice of motion
and it's excellent work in the community
and excellent work from the architect so
um I think we should all be very
grateful for that and let's hope there's
a really new policy coming out of
housing with a new government a new
Minister um and and um quite Advanced
recommendations coming from by the city
um on on this particular um site so well
done do we have any other speakers I'll
put the motion to you all those in favour
say
I it's carried unanimously
terrific uh item 12.5 Sydney town hall
and other Council buildings not to be
used for policing or surveillance of
democratic
protests
coun hello okay um this motion asks
Council to make a policy decision that
it's not appropriate that the town hall
and related buildings be used by the New
South Wales police to support policing
of democratic process protests including
surveillance of democratic protests and
it asks that Council agree that in the
event that the police approach the city
of Sydney Council in the future and ask
to use the town hall or Council
buildings specifically for policing
protests or policing related Democratic
activities that this access should be
refused unless approved by us as the
elected Council or when the request is
urgent and in the public interest
approved by the Lord Mayor to speak
briefly to why I brought this motion and
I I have flagged it with a number of
councils um earlier the police often are
given access to council buildings for um
you know during New Years Etc um which
is right when it's about dealing with um
trying to a lot of people in the city
who need to be managed what is new um
and I've confirmed this from through
questions on notice with staff is that
on the 21st of October o police for the
first time asked to use the Marone room
connected to the town hall for the
purposes of policing a democratic
protest that was out the front of the
Town Hall I understand this has never
happened before it happened twice in
October I'm not aware if it's happened
since um but it is in now I don't think
it's appropriate as our role in and
we've passed a number of motions of
council supporting the right of
democratic protest that we should be
allowing Council buildings to be used to
police Democratic protests particularly
out the front of the Town Hall I want
the council to send a message that the
new sou police should not further make
these requests but in any case given it
is not something that was um has come to
us as an elected Council it was decided
under delegation by staff that it's
appropriate for us to say now that we
know about those requests they should
come to us in the future there are a lot
of risks and issues and potential um
inconsistencies in the public interest
with having the police use our democr
institutions that are about supporting
democracy specifically to support
policing of democratic protests we
should not be letting our buildings be
you town halls in particular used in
that way that is what I'm asking the
council to support
tonight second for the
motion Council Scott do I have speakers
on the
motion Council
Walling um thank you Lord May
uh thank you Council elore um I have
absolutely no doubt that this motion
comes from a good place though I will
not be voting in support of this tonight
the city of Sydney needs the police
Public Safety is Paramount and that is
facilitated by the police I completely
agree that that this must be done in a
way that does not limit people's
Democratic right to protest but
providing this access is about helping
to keep our community safe not about
taking away Democratic rights these
police officers they're also essential
workers might come from all over the
metropolitan area and require a space to
eat their lunch take breaks to leave
their belongings and have briefings town
hall is one of the city's largest and
most Central assets the Marone room is a
space quite literally on the doorstep of
where people are most likely to gather
to peacefully protest rally and exercise
their Democratic rights in the city of
Sydney access was granted by the
management security and emergency
management team in consultation with
venue management I see no reason why we
shouldn't trust City staff they have
worked to develop good relationships
with our local police so that we can
work together in the best interests of
our
community someone must ensure Community
safety at events protests and rallies
and that is the police's responsibility
if there's any way we can help them do
that I believe we should thank you
so do we have other
speakers can I also say if there's
individual um Behavior by individual
officers that's inappropriate um I will
be the first person to write to the
minister about this and and object
um uh
ferly um but I I support the points made
by um councelor whirling um it's about
relationships it's about
working to keep um safe and and and also
provide the opportunity for people to to
rally and demonstrate and do what they
they want to do in our city um it's part
of city life it's really important part
of city life and it's really important
that they gather around our town hall
which is um you know the the the civic
center of our city and and of course
it's absolutely critical to us that all
the people that gather around our town
hall are kept safe so um I don't support
elmore's
motion so councilor Scott thanks Lord
Mayor look I do acknowledge that this is
a difficult issue and I understand and
uh support the work that the police do
to keep our city of Sydney residents and
businesses safe but I do say that I
support this notice of motion it is very
unusual to have a place like Sydney Town
Hall the home of a government housing
police for things like their lunch
breaks and to organize activities around
uh things like protests it is the case
that historically Town Hall has been
used for protests that people met on the
steps and of course the public spaces
around here have been used for protests
for as long as I can remember and yet it
is not the case up until this year that
police have requested to use this
building in this way there are four
police stations between s Hills and the
Rocks so I'm confident if police need a
place to go and have their lunch or to
store their equipment or to uh prepare
for their work then they can do that in
one of the four police stations that are
in uh this very dense area uh I'm not of
the view that a democratically elected
Parliament is the right place for that
uh so I welcome our strong relationship
with the police I've worked with uh many
of the city's police in all the commands
and in a former life as a public servant
working in relation to doing research
with them their work is very important
but uh it is not right to mix uh the
police Staffing with the Staffing of a
democratically elected government and I
fear that that is a line that is uh too
for us and so I support this notice of
motion and if the police need more room
or more police stations or other
services or uh facilities to do their
job uh then I would hope that rather
than asking local governments they would
ask the state government which is of
course responsible for funding uh and
supporting their work so uh I urge
colleagues to support this notice of
motion
you're just on mute again Lord Mayor
Deputy Lord
Mayor
um sorry I got got the wrong button yeah
um I think um what the police does is um
very very important and keeping our our
city safe and um yes this this um this
request has not you know I understand
this request has not happened you know
has only happened only this year has
happened before but at the same time we
we hadn't we haven't had um you know Pro
protest like what we have been having
and you know um we're having we haven't
been having um events around the world
that are that are affecting so many
people a lot what we're having this year
and um you know and previous years you
know so um um and I support the um uh
what you know what the police are doing
and what the city staff is doing do to
help help the police and and um a place
to for them to be able to to be on
standby and to have arest and to recover
from from you know the hard work and the
and the shifts that that they're doing
you know what what what the police um
are doing for for our city and keeping
our city safe is uh very important um
and very important for the safety of um
of the city of um people who Vis visit
the city um our residents businesses so
um using
using the Maron room which is Central
and and then also allowing them
logistically to to be at places where
they need to be should an emergency uh
arise um that that is of the utmost
importance and and um you know we
should enable the Democratic process to
to work and to enable you know um the
police to to to work for for our city so
um unfortunately I won't be able to
support this um this notice of motion
and um and I think you know we should
work with the with the police uh in you
know continue to work with them in in
term in terms of our relationship with
the police kept the city safe in our
very big events like and New Year's Eve
and um you know and of course you know
the the Luna Luna fil which comes up um
you know in in
February so L LA May I'm not not able to
support this notice of motion thank you
do have other
speakers so I'll put the motion um do
you wish to speak in reply Council
illmore so I'll put the motion to you
all those in favour to say I in favour I
have councelor Ellmore councelor Scott
and counc counc welen those
against against I have councel Jared
councelor Ganon councel Chan councelor
Davis councel Waring councelor [ __ ] and
the Lord Mayor the motion is
lost uh next up we have item 12.6
elected Council to review and approve
city of Sydney policy and planning
submissions councilor illmore you have
been
busy thank you Lord May if I knew there
was another meeting before Christmas no
thank you
um councilors this is a procedural
Motion in the sense that it deals with
um Council making a decision about how
it wants to manage submissions um I'm
asking councilors to note that it's the
responsibility of the elected Council to
determine the policy positions of the
council and that the city of Sydney
regularly makes submissions and that we
agree wherever practical that
submissions drafted and prepared by
Council staff are to be tabled as draft
to the elected Council for review and
endorsement before being finalized and
submitted and that we request the CEO to
table draft submissions at Council
meetings for review by the elected
Council prior to being finalized and
submitted and noting that there are
often short time frames are provided you
know by New South Wales government
usually for providing comment we make a
submission that when needed we seek an
we ask the CEO to seek an extension of
time before making the submission or if
not practical to table a draft
submission to the elect Council instead
table a summary of key points or policy
positions to be considered um I know
that the council makes a large number of
submissions I I think it's one of the
fundamental jobs of council to sign off
on those submissions and I having
experien as a previous Council councilor
that was often a really important
opportunity for us as the elected
councilors to say this is what we
understand in a hearing from the
community about these issues and to make
sure that they were considered in the
submissions um I think I at the moment
quite often in the council sou will
confirm this regularly provide comments
on the draft that are circulated before
they put in but ultimately I think it's
important that we have the
responsibility to sign off on these
submissions they end up representing on
mass as much of a volume of the policy
positions that this council is
advocating for out there in the world as
the other documents that we um end up
voting on on this Council and um from a
governance perspective it's my view that
we as a council elected Council should
consider those submissions and sign off
on those submissions that's what I'm
suggesting that the council do um and
make that explicit tonight thank
you so do we have a second for the
motion Council Wen and we have
speakers Council
chair Lord Mayor our R to reject this
motion as such a measure would have
detrimental effects on the city's
ability to effectively engage with state
and federal processes particularly to
uphold the interests of our community
and constituents it's important to frame
the current govern governance process
and its Effectiveness in relation to
submissions made by City staff council
is elected to represent the community as
elected Community Representatives
Representatives councilors including
councelor ellore review and endorse the
city of City's policies strategies and
positions Lord Mayor it is the role of
the council to set the city's policies
and our city staff makes the missions
based on Council policies to the federal
and state government the expertise of
our staff ensures that the city
submissions are well informed and
strategically positioned without
endorsed Community Le policy or
objectives now consider the existing
workload that our city staff undertakes
daily in addition to this city staff
have been industrious lodging an
impressive 157 submissions over the past
year with another nine in the pipeline
our staff commitment reflects
professionalism and also a profound
commitment to the advocacy of our
community our city staff are experts in
their respective Fields their
credibility is a testament to the
quality of submissions they produce Lord
May I've spoken to countless community
members who have thanked the city for
these submissions that Advocate and
fight for better Solutions and outcomes
on behalf of the
community distilling complex information
into understandable plans require
expertise and Precision in fact I know
that the city's planning Subs are
actually becoming tools that Empower
residents in compiling their own
submissions further amplifying the
collective voice of our community while
breaking down the technical barriers
when dealing with the state government
furthermore the time constraints pose a
significant challenge many submissions
must be made within short time frame
ranging from 10 to 30 working days take
for instance the New South Wales
government's Central Precinct proposal
where City staff had to review and
respond to a staggering 30 technical
reports totaling over 6,000 Pages even
with an extended exhibition period that
was a result of the Lord Mayor's
advocacy the pressure to meet these
deadlines is immense while seeking
extensions is a
valid time risks normalizing the request
and could likely lead to reluctance from
relevant government government agencies
Lord May involving councilorsin every
detail given the technicalities involved
will most likely result in missing
deadlights jeopardizing the city's
ability to make any representations or
recommendations in line with our
endorsed policy positions this would not
be in the community's interest
furthermore it's important to point out
that councilors have always had the
option to raise feedback with City staff
during the submission period as
councilors we also get briefings from
the state government on some of these
projects and i f advocated the issues my
community has told me directly with the
state government at these sessions
finally councilors can also make their
own submissions which I have done and
written on numerous occasions in
collaboration with the community such as
for bangaru Central and North just the
name of you a few Lord May the current
motion if pass will hinder our capacity
to effectively engage in the numerous
state and federal processes that demand
the city of Sydney's attention and
expertise one that our community expects
and appreciates it's critical that the
city's planning work continues to run in
an effective way so I urge fellow
councilors to vote down this
motion thank you Council chair um do I
have other
speakers I I'd just like to say I very
strongly support what council Chan has
just said I think and i' I've let
Council ellore know that that that's our
view um that
um we we set the policy and the staff
reflect that policy in the work they do
but a lot of these submissions are
highly Technical and our um we do have
excellent staff with expertise in the
various areas that um the submissions
need to be made on so councilor Scott
thanks Lord Mayor I support the
resolution we do set the policy and we
should set the policy at the moment
submissions are being made without coun
ratifying them it's a really common
practice in other councils as councilor
ell Moore has pointed out but also in
Peak bodies at local government New
South Wales uh I think probably one of
the most active submitters about matters
that make uh local government have an
interest in the state and federal
governments we consistently made draft
submissions and they would go to the
local government New South Wales board
which meant monthly which would ratify
the submissions or of course make
amendments where the board chose to do
so and then the submissions would either
be resubmitted as a final version or as
an amended final version this is an
incredibly common practice in all
advocacy organizations and something the
city of Sydney could easily adopt I
think it is really important to ensure
that there is a strong layer of
accountability that Council has resolved
on any policy positions rather than
policy positions being made bya stealth
so I strongly support this resolution I
think it is a simple request for the
council to resolve on our submissions
it's common practice in other councils
uh and as I said in the peak bodies in
local government uh and I I really do
think it is something we should adopt
going
forward might ask the CEO to also
comment as this does
um this is an important issue for our
staff see Lord may I mean apart from the
just the workload issues you know 166
submissions this year I I don't think
it's appropriate to say that staff are
making policy by stealth we have
submitted hundreds and hundreds of
submissions and I cannot recall a single
time when a staff member because we
check that the directors check it for
policy consistency if I see anything
that looks like opinion or not
consistent with a you know a position of
this Council then we remove it um I
cannot think of a single instance where
councilors have been caught out and said
to me how how on Earth could you have
put this in a submission because that is
not our policy now I understand that you
know when we are looking at so many
details there is going to always be some
level of interpretation some level there
is but if you want this Council to make
that many submissions this is the only
way we can do it and I think it's
inappropriate to suggest that staff are
making policy by stealth we are doing
our very best to represent the policy at
that of the council and to be consistent
um and of course many submissions
councilorshave the opportunity to have
a look at and tell us what they think
but you've seen it I mean just a few se
updates I think we had four or five
submissions on that paper with literally
only a couple of days for you to comment
um because that was the deadline but at
least we wrote them at least we got them
in at least you had a chance to have a
look at them thank you Lord Mayor thank
you um so we don't have any other
speakers Council elor in
reply thank thank you Lord Mayor just
very briefly um look I just wanted to I
would like to see Council reconsider its
process and I I will be raising this
again though I appreciate that we're
unlikely to get this changed tonight I
do need to um I don't agree that it's
not the case that the submissions never
make policy or this disagreement very
early on in term I think I recall it
well I was at home with Co unfortunately
I think the first time I got Co pretty
soon after we got elected and we had a
pretty big blue on this Council about um
the position that was taken in a draft
submission in relation to one of the
transport sites renewal because it's one
thing to have these policy positions
that we set about the way we'd like to
see our city redeveloped but there is so
much in translating that particularly
around development into what it means
when you respond to a particular site
when the state government has plans and
I've we had a blue about that as an
elected Council um and so I just wanted
to say that is one strong example in
this term um um but I regularly get
residents who come to me who want to add
their expertise and Views because
something has just been announced by the
state government it's huge and there is
no pathway for them to provide feedback
formally into the city's submission
because the appropriate process would be
that the draft is tabled with the
elected Council and we can see how the
city's um broad policies have been
translated into the position on this big
planning change for example and that's
our chance to add the community's
expertise our staff are amazing experts
and I think anyone questions that but I
i' often don't like dur during this
debate being told that it's important
because they're experts that it's that's
means that it's okay our job is to give
give create Pathways and listen to the
expertise of the community and add that
into what is being said by the staff and
the experts we have and others by
putting draft submissions is it gives us
an opportunity to do that and it makes
us own that decision that's what our
Democratic role is about I appreciate
that this um will not get support
tonight but I will I think this is a
real governance thing that I feel
different I feel strongly about and I
will continue to raise it on this
Council because I think it is our role
to sign off on these
submissions thank you um I'll put the
motion to all those in favour to say
I in favour I have councelor Scott
councel Ellmore and councel Welden um
those against against I have the Lord
Mayor councel Jarrett Council Ganon
councel Chan councel Davis councelor
Ward calling and councelor [ __ ] the
motion is
lost uh item 12.7 support for a
ceasefire Council
elore thank you Lord Mayor I know that
there are many people online tonight who
are interested in the results of this
motion um so i r I'm going to move this
motion for support for a ceasefire it um
I'm going to read it out because it's
three short points so that the community
online listening are aware the first
point um asks Council to note that the
meral minute calling for a PE path to
peace was unanimously passed by the city
of Sydney Council on the 23rd of October
2023 to reaffirm that there can be no
path to peace without respect for human
rights and international law and to urge
the Australian government to support
International efforts for an immediate
sustainable and humanitarian ceasefire
to enable peace negotiations and a
pathway to achieving lasting peace if
there's a second I'll briefly speak to
the
motion there's Council Scot
Tak thank you Lord Mayor I'm putting
this motion forward tonight at the
request of the community and I feel very
strongly that it builds on the motion
that we youly endorsed as a council only
a couple of months
ago for us to make to stand up as a
voice for peace and in response to many
community members contacted me who are
devastated at the ongoing violence and
loss of life in Gaza marching on the
streets every weekend coming out in huge
numbers I agree with them that they say
for this city to endorse peace means not
looking away in the face of what is a
growing International consensus that we
need as an immediate
ceasefire and for us as a local Council
to be calling on the state the
Australian government which is so out of
step with where the rest of the world is
and where our local communities in not
supporting International efforts for an
immediate
ceasefire and people have also ask me
why should we move this as a local
Council I think we I've received and I
think the other councilors have as well
more emails from local residents about
this issue in a very short period of
time um since the motion went live on
Friday I think more than any other issue
because this is something that really
impacts people they really care about it
it's why so many people people are
turning out on the streets are writing
letters are speaking up the number of
people who' come to me and said thank
you I'm so relieved that the city of
Sydney is going to show this leadership
they were very proud of the city in um
and the Lord Merl minute in terms of
supporting peace and they will be very
proud for us tonight if we speak up in
support an of an immediate
ceasefire I wanna I know there's a lot
of passion and sadness and anger in the
community and I want to say thank you of
of all the emails you
received they were respectful even
though people feel so strongly about
this and I wanted to acknowledge that
and I wanted to say thank
you and I also wanted to say because
there I've also received concerns that
the language of this motion does not
acknowledge specifically the loss of
life in um and the war crimes and the
details of the failure to um comply with
international law that the real people
that are behind this I I want to say
that and just as what I said we about
debating the motion about advocation per
that um a standing up and supporting
International efforts for a ceasefire
advocating for peace is not a failure to
recognize the evils of war in in if we
pass this motion tonight which I hope
that we do
unamended um it is it is not saying that
we do not acknowledge the thousands of
Palestinian other lives that have been
lost at the hands of the Israeli
government 177,000 most of those
civilians and children is the current
estimate it is it is not to not
acknowledge the loss of military and
civilian life as a result of the October
attack by Hamas or the um ongoing
hostages in calling for recognition of
international law being the only path to
peace we acknowledge that we need to
acknowledge all the evils of War um this
motion is about a ceasefire and us
immediately standing with the community
in calling for a ceasefire and asking
the urg in the Australian government to
do so I'm I hope council is are able to
support this motion
tonight thank you Council Elmore um
Council
Wen thank you Lord Mayor the situation
in Gaza is utterly heartbreaking at
times over the last two months I have
been unable to Bear the images and
stories I can't fathom the horror for
those experiencing these traged tragedy
firstand homes schools and hospitals
have been bombed thousands of innocent
men women and children have been killed
over a million have been displaced and
deprived of food water and medicine it's
hum it's a humanitarian crisis an
October SE the October 7 attacks were
acts of barbaric terrorism they threaten
the security of every Israeli more than
100 hostages remain captive Hamas must
be brought down but reducing Gaza to
Rubble will only render it it and it's
even more fertile ground for violent
extremism guaranteeing that the Region's
cycle of violence continues in
perpetuity it is both inhumane and
counterproductive as a city of Sydney
counselor I've engaged with Sydney's
Jewish and Muslim communities I've
commemorated y CH and I Shar IFA I know
many of you do the same both communities
are hurting right now I've heard
from Palestinian Australians who have
tragically lost friends and family
members admidst the re conflict
meanwhile there's been a concerning rise
in anti-semitic attacks and there is
absolutely no place for this in our city
it should not be in our lives there are
strong and opposing views amongst the
local community and unfortunately there
are those within our political and media
landscape who actively so
Division I hope to be a part of the
council that promotes and
understands promotes understanding
respect and unity I support councilor
elmore's motion motion calling upon
federal government to support
International efforts for an immediate
sustainable and humanitarian SE fire to
enable peace negotiations and a pathway
to achieving lasting peace I will not be
supporting a one-sided Amendment it
cannot be achieved if we just continue
to fight amongst ourselves when there is
enough fighting already taking place and
I say this to those opposed calling for
a ceasefire does not negate Israel's
right to exist or defend its citizens it
simply acknowledges that you cannot bomb
a region into peace heartaches exists
when we continue to create more
heartache we need to heal and it can
only be done with a true ceasefire
regardless of what other people believe
thank
you thank you councilor Scott leave it
on thanks Lord Mayor and I do want to uh
thank councelor El for amending the
motion that she moved tonight I'm sure
to reflect a large amount of discussions
that she's had um with a number of us I
also want to thank all the people who
have written into to us um I've received
nearly a 100 emails uh over the past few
days it'sing a range of views and I
thank people for
engaging uh I again join I hope with all
councilorsin a course condemning uh the
heinous terrorist attack on the seventh
of Al Tri
murdering more than 1200 women and
children and Men the targeting of
civilians The Taking of hostages the
credible reports of sexual violence that
have followed these are inexcusable acts
we're all horrified and deeply saddened
by the deaths of so many innocent people
and feel for the hostages 137 of whom
are still held by their kidnappers and
for whom their loved ones wait for news
with unimaginable
anxiety I hope too that we can all feel
for the innocent citizens in Gaza more
than
17,000 900 of whom have been killed
since October the 7th more than
7,000 children as I noted when we
debated this matter last time the people
of Gaza last had a say in who governs
them in
2006 half of gaza's population were not
even born in 2006
70% were either born since 2006 or were
too young to vote in
2006 they can in no way be considered
responsible for acts of terrorism that
Hamas has committed but their homes
their hospitals their schools their
mosques their Christian churches are
being destroyed around them food and
water and power cut off medical supplies
blockaded surgeons trying to treat
patients from supplies from corner store
by the lights of their dying mobile
phones the UN has warned that Gaza
stands on the brink of total collapse
and we must as a world not look away
from that I've had the privilege of
visiting the beautiful areas covered by
Israel and I have been in contact with
my many friends living there now and
experiencing the horrors I have felt the
terror of turning around in an airport
to see my Australian born husband having
his passport removed and being hauled
into a secret room on the basis of his
looks alone only to be released when it
became clear that he was traveling with
a blonde Australian woman in the past
few days alone I have watched
Palestinians beg one of our federal
members for protection visas for their
family and loved ones I have wi
witnessed Jewish City resident
celebrations in a city park occur with
multiple armed police
because their communities felt that they
couldn't confidently hold a public event
without this police presence in
safety I have devastatingly ensured that
the city has removed hateful graffiti
from our streets so that children in the
neighboring school could go outside to
eat without witnessing statements I
truly thought we would never see outside
Nazi Germany not once three times in the
same place
I am heartbroken and I simply cannot
imagine what it must be like to be a
Jewish or Palestinian person at this
time it is just beyond my realm of
ability to imagine how difficult this
must be demand is growing amongst the
International Community West East North
and South for a political process
Australia is part of the international
diplomatic effort reinforcing the
imperative of a durable peace it is not
possible to in assure the interests of
Israelis without also assuring the same
for Palestinians a durable peace calls
for people to see each other's Humanity
it requires all sides to respect the
right of others to exist it is going to
require serious International Investment
in the Palestinian economy so
Palestinians can build a future for
themselves it will require Israel to
stop establishing settlements in the
occupied Palestinian territories that
even the divided un Security Council
agreed is a flagrant violation of
international law and a major
obstacle settler violence against
Palestinians must cease and perpetrators
must be held to
account ultimately a just and enduring
peace requires a two states solution an
Israeli State alongside a Palestinian
State Israelis and Palestinians living
securely and prosperously within
internationally recognized borders we
must support International efforts
towards a sustained ceas fire we
recognize that this cannot be one-sided
The Good Friday agreement in Northern
Ireland was only possible because all
parties committed to an end to violence
both governments the IRA the uvf and the
UDA as I said last time we debated this
Naomi Klein wrote recently that the only
side she was prepared to take was the
side of the child against the side of
the gun whoever's the child whoever's
the gun there are children on both sides
for their sakes the world's focus and
ours must be on a sustainable ceasefire
where both sides lay down their
guns thank you councelor Scott do I have
other speakers Council
Lyndon yes sorry Council Ganon thank you
Lord I actually have an amendment to the
motion so I'll speak to that uh Council
like most of you that I've spoken to at
this motion I'm very disappointed uh
that this motion has come to council
tonight while I agree with councelor
Ellmore that we as a local government
Representatives can make positive
contributions when challenged by global
Affairs like with our support for the
Ukrainian community and our humanitarian
Aid relief supports I do take issue with
notice of motion notice of motions
pardon me that NE needlessly Stoke
tension in the community like this
motion has done tonight is quite
unnecessary and I'd like to remind
everyone that we are not the UN and the
UN prime minister Netanyahu the Hamas
leadership are not turning into this
meeting our local community is that is
who we have the privilege to represent
while notice of em motions are important
part of our democracy when I receive a
call on a Sunday afternoon from a local
Jewish woman in tears I think it is fair
to say that this one is missed the mark
by a very wide birth Lord Mayor as you
know we have a very real problem in this
country when Jewish Mothers are sending
their children to school disguised for
fear of their safety for fear that
they'll be identified my lights
off uh for fear that they will be
identified by anti-semites who would do
harm to them the risk is not imagined
they are real and being faced by the
Jewish Community daily and never I agree
with uh Council Scott never have I seen
more anti-em anti-semitic graffiti
around
town we have a very real problem when we
see Pro Hamas hate matches go
unchallenged as they did on October 9
when they March from this place to the
steps of the Opera House Enchanted F the
Jews and gas the Jews days before the
Israeli action in Gaza had begun a
demonstration of Sol solidarity with
terrorist organization on the steps of
our most recognizable building there
were not just condoning genocide they
were encouraging it that brought brought
shame to this
nation Lord May there is no equivalence
whatsoever between Israel's actions in
Gaza and what Hamas did on October 7 the
terrorists murdered 12,000 Israelis were
not pursuing military targets they were
trying not they were not trying to avoid
civilian casualties but to cause them we
can all remember the scenes of young
unarmed people running for their lives
when the tourists on the Supernova Music
Festival I won't repeat any of the
horrific accounts that happened to many
many women and children that day because
it's too it's utterly
barbaric uh we are extremely saddened
saddened at the loss of life and extreme
trauma being experienced by the
Palestinians in Gaza at the moment the
people of Palestine are certainly in my
thoughts and prayers but we cannot
forget that Hamas is a terrorist
organization listed as such by the
Australian government and other
government uh of
uh our Democratic Partners including the
United States and the United Kingdom its
declared aim is to eliminate the state
of Israel a ceasefire would only plant
the seed for the next War because Hamas
has no desire to see durable peace no
desire for a two-state
solution now just to my Amendment uh
Lord Mayor it reads as follows uh that
the city of Sydney condemns the war
crimes committed by Hamas in its
Massacre of civilians on the 7th of
October 2023 cause on Hamas to release
the 138 hostages it continues to hold
including 17 women and children as a
prerequisite for any ceire recognizes
that a durable ceasefire involves
agreement from all parties and calls on
Hamas to recognize Israel's right to
exist as a state and forsake the use of
terrorism against civilians to advance
political agenda and contends sorry Comm
condemns anti-Semitism and all other
forms of intoler intolerance seen
recently in Sydney I'd also like to
thank David osup from uh the new South
Jewish Board of deputies and Senator
Dave sha for their Council these past
few days thank you Lord
May so um and that's seconded by Council
Jarrett is that right Council Jarrett
are you seconding that
Amendment yes Lord Mayor I am but can I
ask was the actual original motion put
and seconded
no I had the motion moved by
El Council Scott second it to be clear
that was not the original motion it was
an
amended motion that was the council
ellore moved an amended motion which you
I understood you seconded Council
Scott yes
so I'm seconding councelor ganon's um
amendments to the amended
motion well once once the move of the
motion accepts the amendment it becomes
the motion so it's not described as an
amended
motion motion I will second councelor
ganon's amendments to the motion thank
you um so we're now going to deal with
uh the amendment gee CEO there's
something funny going on with the lights
here perhaps they're not used to us
being in these rooms so late only in the
council chamber so we're now dealing
with the amendment moved by Council
Ganon um Council Ganon um is that is the
amendment what you circulated that's
correct so you've noting the meal minute
calling for the path to peace you're
noting that city of Sydney condemns the
war crimes committed by and then the
other ones you read out that's correct
and you've deleted the last G is that
right
correct is that right he's deleted G
i m yeah although that had already been
deleted but okay yes so um speaking to
the
amendment councelor Davis has her hand
up councilor
Davis thank you Lord Mayor peace is at
the heart of all cultural and religious
belief systems as we watch this tragedy
unfold from afar Lord may I quote from
your lord Marl minute dated the 23rd of
October this year we stand with the
innocent victims of this long-running
conflict in both Israel and Palestine
communities who are suffering and have
suffered over so many years I don't
support Council ganon's Amendment
because I feel strongly about the
exclusion of the of some of the voices
in relation to the victims especially
and those countries uh resolving their
lived experiences themselves on the 23rd
of October the council resolved in the
hope that leaders can find a path to
peace where the cycle of violence in
this region is ended and neither Israeli
or Palestinians have to live in fear and
at risk of harm and death also stated in
your lord Merill minute uh was a quote
from Australia's director General
Secretary uh Secretary of security Mr
Mike burges
there is direct correlation between
language that inflames tension and out
of the tension does grow a small number
of people who link who think violence is
the answer Lord Mayor we all stand here
today understanding both the Muslim
Jewish families and allies are hurting
for so many innocent victims of war the
city's stance is reassuring a harmonious
community that serves those
from our first Nations and those that
have come from a multitude of
backgrounds we respect the beliefs and
value systems of all by sharing our
different values and coexisting
peacefully we can and should support all
our brothers and sisters that suffer the
atrocities of War equally the city of
Sydney has already resolved to act
peacefully and to promote the values of
diversity solidarity and inclusivity the
City of Sydney objective is to promote
social harmony and does not support One
Nation over another and I also would
like to recognize all of those wonderful
people that have W written in uh with
great concerns but that's the stance of
the city thank you thank you Council
Davis do I have other speakers on the
amendment councilor elsmore has a hand
up Lord Mayor and Council elore to
Amendment um you're on
mute I'm to I just wanted to speak
briefly to say that I obviously do not
support the amendment um I think Council
W councel Scott councelor Davis have
been incredibly more articulate than I
could be to be honest around why this
would go against both the earlier
decision that Council made in terms of
supporting the path of Peace but would
serve what I think is the opposite of
council ganon's intention um if I
understand correctly to not inflame
tensions the motion we have before us
unamended
is about calling for a ceasefire an
immediate ceasefire in the context
of 18,000 civilian deaths and seven or
8,000 of them being
children I think the wording is very
measured and I hope that it can get
support I had hoped that it could get
unanimous support from this council
tonight do I have other speakers to the
amendment Council Jared did you put your
hand up no well I'd I'd like to say then
that um I'm not going to um support the
amendment um and in fact I had hoped
that the previous my previous public
statements as leader of the council um
and my miral minute would have been
sufficient to convey the city's
condemnation of of terrorism violence
and War and express our solidarity with
all the affected communities and we did
vote unanimously on that and I want to
repeat what I said um when I spoke on
the M minute that we've watched in
horror as the events unfold in Israel
and and we're appalled by what we're
seeing daily on our televisions it's
happening in Gaza the destruction of of
of of life and and and and limb is is
horrific um we are unequivocally condemn
heinous attacks on Israel Israeli
citizens by terrorist organization Hamas
which displayed a chilling disregard for
for life and and for international law
and we continue to be shocked and
alarmed by the continuing and C
catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the
Gaza Strip which has killed um what are
the latest figures um 18,000 civilians
7,000 affermer children those children
don't have any opportunity to life you
know it's it's it's a sh shattering
thought to think that that that their
world is being being absolutely trashed
but those young people are dead and and
will never have an opportunity to do the
things that we have all done and and
it's just I mean war is horrific um but
this this war is is is it continues to
be truly shocking um and and and as I
said would last time we just debated
this uh anti-Semitism and and Islam
phobia has no place in in our city um
and peace is at the heart of Islam
Judaism and Christianity um and as we
watch the tragedy unfold from Australia
seeking peace must be the Bedrock of our
actions and statements and so that's why
I'm supporting the um motion moved by
councilor Elmore that urges the
Australian government to support
International efforts for an immediate
sustainable and humanitarian ceasefire
to enable peace and negotiations
uh and and a pathway to achieving
lasting peace when you read the views of
the various people involved in this
tragedy you you think how H how how how
hard is it ever going to be for get to
get the solution but I have in my mind
likened it to the Irish situation we
lived in London during terrible things
that were going on in Ireland and it
really was they only achieved peace um
when both the sides put down their their
arms and and got round the table and
threshed out an outcome and and that was
that was a terrible situation that was
happening in irand and it is comparable
um to what is now happening in the
Middle East and that's why we have to
put every pressure we can on our
government to stand up uh in the UN and
support um a ceasefire and Lasting peace
as we're describing in uh in the
original motion moved by Council Elmore
tonight so um for those reasons I don't
support the uh the the amendment M by
Council Ganon but I do hope we all
support urging the Australian government
to support International efforts for an
immediate sustainable humanitarian
ceasefire to enable peace negotiations
and a pathway to achieving lasting
peace um do I have any other speakers on
the amendment so I'll put the amendment
to you all those in favour say
I in favour of the amendment I have
councilor and councel
Jarrett and those against against I have
the Lord May councel illmore councel
Davis councelor Scott councel Chan
councel W and councel welder and councel
cop the amendment is lost we now do I
have any yes do we I have any other
speakers on the substantive motion
Council Jared thank you um Lord Mayor
hopefully everyone can hear me here at
home from a very basic point of view I
object to the whole tenure of local
government particularly here in the city
of Sydney bringing forward matters that
have nothing to do with what we are as
local councilorsmany of you have all
got the same emails that I've got and
many of them have suggested to us we
stick to what we are about which is
local Council
issues we as a council said that we
supported peace back in um
October but what we have continue to see
because of the constant
interference by people is that our local
communities are not feeling the support
that they want to have we've heard from
our Israeli Community our Israeli Jewish
community and we've heard from our
Palestinian uh Muslim
communities this is not something that
we should be engaged in we've all heard
stories from everybody here I can tell
similar stories of been in Israel I can
tell similar stories have been in the
Middle East it's a very complex
situation
complex situations lie with Federal
governments they lie with International
organizations not with local
government we should be we had a pro we
had this meeting had to go online
tonight we had policemen outside the
town hall this afternoon I had people
ringing me saying is it safe for me to
come to the meeting fortunately it all
went online and people can watch it from
here and feel safe we shouldn't be
engaging in this sort of debate it's not
our remit it's for the federal
government and the nuances the
practicalities and the realities of it
all are not something that we were
elected to do so I don't support the um
motion put forward by councilor
illmore do I have any other speakers on
the substantive motion councilor Wen you
have spoken um do you have a
question clarification Lord
May councelor Jarrett raising those
significant issues about Council um and
Council Jarrett being the one that moved
a motion to raise the Israeli flag and
and opposing uh The Voice positioning so
I'm sorry I wanted to clarify that can
we get some clarification
about of that Lord me correction of the
statement that's been made because
that's not actually factually correct
um Council Wen it's it's a matter of
debate um uh and you have already spoken
um as I've reminded councilors before if
you feel there's misrepresentation
against your you or your your expressed
view you have an opportunity to raise
your hand and after the debate on the
the particular item I will go to you but
um you you are
disagreeing with the views of of
councelor Jarrett and I mean and she has
every right to put her views to council
um just as counselor um uh elore had the
right to put the motion to council so I
was actually asking you Lord Mayor it
was actually not about councelor Jarrett
it's about you Lord Mayor ensuring that
the information that has been conveyed
is factually correct rather than
actually being misleading uh Council and
certainly the positioning councilorsare
able to raise I'm sorry what's your
question to me question is is that the
statement that was just made by Council
Jared is not factually correct is that
Council can raise these matters just as
she has raised by trying to put flag on
Town Hall so is that factually correct
or incorrect is that misleading is it
misleading Council and is
it Council Jarrett has every right to
put her Democratic view at at our de
Democratic assembly here um you might
not agree with her view but she has the
right to put it and so it's it's not a
matter of of um
uh being um inaccurate and Council
Jarrett uh has put this view previously
as but then when she um uh put the
motion about the flying the Israel flag
or the colors of Israel com which it was
now um that that was that that was not
in keeping with her previous statements
about local government not getting
involved in in international issues um
so we'll just leave it there I think um
do I have any other
U
contributions if I don't have any other
contributions on on the substantive um
issue put by so I've got hands up from
councelor Jarrett and councelor Ellmore
I think uh councel Jarrett's spoken on
the motion so would just be a question
and then councilor ort in
reply councilor Jarrett you have a
question yes Lord Mayor my motion with
respect to the town hall was with
respect to supporting our local city of
Sydney
Community not am I not correct it was
about our local
community thank you thank you Council
chat as I said it's usual if you think
there's been a
misrepresentation after we finish
discussing the issue you can put your
hand up and I'll go to you um that would
been the the convention that we follow
here do I have and Council Elmore you
have your hand up you want to speak in
reply does anyone else wish to speak
I'll go to council
elore thank you Lord Mayor um I want to
thank the other councilorsfor the
debate tonight and I want to thank the
community again for getting in touch
with us around this issue I think the
dec I'm often really proud to be part of
this Council sitting as a global City
and it plays a leadership role across a
whole range of issues from human rights
to climate change
our community is out on the streets
every weekend marching in favour of Peace
um and the voting for the ceire tonight
in support of the ceasefire will have a
real impact I think um in terms of what
our Australian government does and in
terms of solidarity for our for those in
the community Fighting For Peace So I
want to say thank you very much for the
debate
tonight thank you councilor SM I'll put
the motion to you all those in favour say
I
I in favour I have the Lord Mayor C counc
ellore councelor Scott councelor Chan
councel Weldon councelor Davis and
Council [ __ ] and councel
Walling those against against I have
councel Jared and councelor Ganon the
motion is
carried thank
you so now we'll go to notice of motion
no we won't it's time for break I'll
move that we have a a break of 15
minutes seconded by CH Lord Mayor I'll
put that to you all those in favour say I
those against so CEO what time qu
9 post only parking restrictions a nice
local
issue yes thank you uh yeah so last week
the CE of Australia Post announced there
will be changing to a bi-weekly letter
drop due to the decrease in um letter
circulation with the current daily drop
no longer being financially viable uh
but at the same time we're seeing
increase in parcel delivery due to
online uh shopping Behavior change es
now as things evolve we should also take
a look at the current Arrangements um
for our parking Bays currently as it
stands Australia Post has parking Bays
throughout the whole local government
area uh that are for their use 247 365
days a year uh it was interesting to
learn that there is a legislative
requirement for 100 sorry for 10,000
post boxes to be provided across
Australia now that's a lot of parking
spaces and I personally don't ever
recall a postman knocking on my door
past 700 p.m. to deliver a letter nor
anytime on a Sunday and to my
recollection only Santa comes to
delivers Parcels overnight now with the
reduction in male Services sorry the
reduction in mail deliveries um surely
these spaces have having exclusive use
247 365 days a year should be
reconsidered to suit the need the needs
of our modern constituents uh these are
up public spaces and should be treated
as such so I'd like to move that notice
motion please Lord Mayor thank you thank
you I'm happy to second that I think
it's a really good good motion thank
you do I have any
speakers well I'll put it to you all
those in favour say
I those against carried unanimously
thank you 12.9 item 12.10 we have dealt
with item 12.9 increase City action on
recycling Council
Scott thanks Lord Mayor I move these
notice of motion and in doing so note
that Council Walling has foreshadowed an
amendment which I'm happy to accept as a
variation um recently a study found that
Municipal Solid Waste under a business's
usual management pathway would be
responsible for 32 to
35% um uh sorry 32 to 35 um billion tons
of carbon dioxide warming equivalence of
emissions between 2020 and
2050 this exceeded the sector emissions
budget of one um of 11 to
27 if we are to stay within the 1.5 to 2
degrees Centigrade of the warming limit
of the Paris agreement um a study
conducted by Hoy at Al provided some
calls for optimism noting however that
nearly 90% of the solid waste industry's
methane emissions can be avoided with
technologies that already exist the key
labs for minimizing greenhouse gas
emissions are reducing ing the volume of
local government solid waste and
managing organic waste safely so this is
both uh incredibly disappointing to see
that there has been such an incredible
uh global increase in the amount of
waste and the emissions that occur but
uh a great cause for optimism to see
that more than 90% of this is
preventable using current
technology uh I commend out Sydney MP
and of course the Federal environment
Minister Tanya PC for her efforts to try
to work with the industry and now in
many cases to introduce compulsory
schemes to ensure that we have a more
circular economy in response to the
National waste report outlining
Australia's waste production that has
increased to 74 million tons annually
40% of this is being sent to
landfill uh Across the Nation annually
Australia has 1.8 million mattresses
that are disposed of 740,000 of those
which are disposed into landfill more
than 22,000 tons uh we know uh that the
city's um current contractor um
recycling contract with soft Landing is
accredited with the Australian betting
stewardship scheme and that's a really
welcome thing I thank the city staff for
working to ensure that that is happening
and look forward to see further
reporting in the city's green report
about the possibility uh of ensuring
that they're upholding that commitment
and indeed recycling as many of those
mattresses as
possible annually we know uh that more
than 200,000 car seats are being
disposed of with more than 80% able to
be recycled uh but of course nothing
close to that number actually being
recycled uh and so it's very welcome
that the federal government has
announced the establishment of seat care
um to ensure that we can create a
circular economy out of children's car
seats nationally and we know finally
that almost 200,000 tons of textiles are
disposed of each year with more than 105
tons exported offshore uh and so it's so
important Lord Mayor that as federal
government priorities we're working in
with the federal government to ensure
that in these areas in particular uh
we're able to Ure that our waste
collections are creating a more circular
economy of course we'd like to see that
right across the board uh encouraging
our residents to use less waste uh
ensuring that the companies that package
our materials are themselves using less
waste uh and of course wherever possible
recycling so Lord Mayor this notice of
motion uh recognizes that those three
government priorities have schemes in
place to ensure that recycling can
increase uh we of course have uh an
arrangement where this can occur for
mattresses but not yet for car seates
and not yet
appropriately and so Lord Mayor this uh
notice of motion proposes the city
ensure we do whatever we can and
negotiate with our contract providers of
waste to embed more effectively in
accordance with these three schemes to
create a more circular economy I
recommend the motion to be so is there a
second for
that Council
Jared Council
Walling um uh thank you Lord Mayor and
thank you councelor Scot for this notice
of motion I commend and welcome any
counselor who wants to see a greater
commitment from residents and all levels
of government on
recycling um as you're aware the this
afternoon my office circulated an
amendment to this notice of motion which
I'd like to speak to to give a little
bit more
context um Council Scott your original
motion has great foundations and it's no
secret that I'm super passionate about
this subject so my amendments tonight
were quite prescriptive the topic as
complex as vast as recycling needs to be
thoroughly
interrogated I'm really I'm also really
pleased to see that our federal
environment minister is advocating for a
swift change in this industry regarding
mattress recycling and has outlined it
as one of the eight priority areas to
address as highlighted in your motion
the city has partnered with soft Landing
to collect recycle and keep mattresses
out of landfill and you're right they
should be congratulated for
that car seats look this one's
interesting one um I no one is denying
that there is a big issue when it comes
to car seats kids grow out of them
quickly they get damaged and they're too
high to sell or reuse due to safety
issues um and we all want the best for
children when they especially when
they're traveling in cars your motion um
highlights seat care however I had not
heard of this program so I looked into
it a little bit more um I discovered
that after two rounds of trial
collections in Western Australia was
completed unfortunately seat care was
unable to launch as expected in mid
2023 um I emailed the company and I have
had confirmation that it's not
progressing at this stage and I've made
changes to reflect that in your motion I
also commend the work of the Australian
fashion Council to launch seamless in a
bid to address our overc consuming
throwaway Society on Friday I picked up
the phone to the AFC CEO Leila Naja
hibri and asked how the city could best
support seamless I asked would they
benefit from us signing up and her
answer was no the program is focused on
retailers and fashion brands seamless
aims to have 60% of Industry signed up
in order to divert 120,000 T tons of
endof Life clothing from landfill by
2027 it's wonderful to see that the
founding signatories including our
cottonon the ionic Lana Jane ribco iron
Williams David Jones all producers of
clothing not local councils the AFC is
aware of the city's waste recycling and
circularity Leadership and once the
program is up and running after after
the 1 of July next year it's likely they
will reach out to the city to request
that we be vocal Advocates or
potentially maybe even collection
centers unfortunately in this Ence it's
just not a case of making a pledge or
signing up that's the responsibility of
the clothing manufacturers and for that
reason I have moved your ask to removed
your ask to sign up to
seamless but while we're on textiles
I've also added to the motion the give a
sheet for the planet organization um the
average household has about 15 kilos of
excess unwanted sheets and towels which
could be collected and converted into
valuable high-grade recycled material I
feel that addition might be welcome
given that seek care scheme is not
operational right now and I hope we can
tackle linen
instead the city of Sydney is doing a
lot of work we're actually doing a lot
of heavy lifting we've set our targets
to divert 70% of Residential Waste Away
from landfill and our Le leave nothing
to strategy this strategy is currently
being reviewed and will be updated to
reflect recent Federal and State policy
changes in waste and circularity
economy we're already doing a lot to
reduce textile landfills with recycling
days clothing swamps and even an
initiative to repurpose Old City
uniforms um I've had I have added this
to the amendment in June this year the
council unanimously supported a lord
meil minute about Collective action on
waste
I've added on I've added an asked to my
amendment that the Lord May write again
to relevant federal and state government
ministers asking for a progress update
on the issues raised in her previous
correspondence and also in September my
notice of motion circular in the city
mentioned the city is also working on a
public education campaign to move
towards a more circular economy
including new Partnerships a dedicated
Grant scheme and an online information
Hub so I can't wait to see where we're
at early next year so um I thank you
very much um councelor Scott and I think
this is a fantastic and strong um U
motion thank
you with my
changes thank you thank you councelor
Waring so
I'll sorry did someone else have their
hand
up no
so we've got um a a
motion that had had previously been
amended and the amendments were included
by A variation and that's what council
whirling has just spoken to corre um and
I'll put it to you um all those in favour
say
I those against it's carried unanimously
thank you uh 1211 City's inclusion
disability advisory panel on city of
Sydney implement ing Royal commission
recommendations um councilor
Scott thanks Lord Mayor uh last notice
of motion of the night and can I please
um start by thanking the many members of
the city of Sydney's uh inclusion
disability advisory panel who have
helped to craft this motion uh on the
basis of not only our latest meeting of
the advisory panel on which I have the
honour of serving uh which received a
brief about the work of the royal
commission and the
recommendations uh but also uh on the
basis of many many meetings uh over many
years and the advocacy of the panel
members some of whom are leaving the
panel and I want to thank them uh for
their service Lord may this is a long
notice of motion and what I have tried
to do is summarize the many requests uh
of the panel uh I'm moving as circulated
uh an amended version of the motion
which reflects some of the changes uh
and comments that panel members have
made to me in recent days uh
specifically Lord Mayor this notice of
motion uh notes that the council um uh
has done a lot already uh in forming our
own disability inclusion advisory panel
and of course uh our own uh policy plan
but also that the federal government is
a signatory to the UN convention on the
rights with persons with a disability uh
and the Australian local government
Association of which time the president
is a signat to Australia's disability
strategy and all those have obligations
that the city of Sydney uh must
uphold uh the panel uh has terms of
reference that provides it with the
power to make recommendations to this
Council and so this is what this notice
of motion is trying to achieve uh Lord
Mayor the panel has specifically asked
that the city uh report back uh on the
actions that the council is taking with
respect to in particular recommendations
following the disability role commission
this role commission had some incredibly
damning testimony and findings uh that
can really in many cases only be
described as uh devastating to see that
in this day and age in Australia these
kinds of practices are still occurring
that were uncovered by the Royal
commission uh and these kinds of
recommendations are still needed the
panel felt very strongly uh that in
particular the city take a very strong
approach about uh ensuring that we're
not procuring from uh organizations that
are not providing dis um people with a
disability with Fair wages and
conditions uh and that we're not
Contracting any of those providers or
indeed doing it ourselves uh that we do
everything we can to provide um holistic
persons in Ed and Trauma informed
practices and Prov prioritize safe and
seamless Services um and also ensuring
uh that we're doing everything we can to
end um employment segregation of people
with a disability within and outside the
city um Lord Mayor they also felt very
strongly that the city has clear
deliverables in our planning controls uh
specifically 15% of grow floor space
area in the city dedicated uh to um very
high standards of uh planning controls
that allow for people with a disability
to be able to live in these places uh
and also ensure uh that the city
provides a range of other services and
support including featuring Honest
compelling stories of people with a
disability ensuring that in all our
Communications externally uh we're able
to provide
uh information that is accessible and
relevant and also Lord Mayor to ensure
that our infrastructure is accessible
much of which uh is in progress or has
already happened but also when we
provide approval for events or uh other
approvals that this also ensures the
highest possible standards of
accessibility uh are able to be achieved
Lord Mayor I really do again want to
thank the panel uh for their
recommendations this is their motion I
move it tonight as an eled counselor but
I want to pay full credit to the panel
for the work that they've done to help
uh put together this ask and to craft
this notice of motion that whilst it is
in response to an item on the panel's
agenda about the disability role
commission really brings together a
large number of items that they've been
asking for for many years uh of the city
of Sydney these are two urgent to wait I
note the city has a statutory
requirement to put together our next uh
disability plan in 2024 for 20125 Lord
Mayor but um many of these panel members
have been waiting for many years for
these actions to occur uh many of them
are standing down from our panel uh and
I think it is the right thing for us to
do to move ahead and progress these as
soon as we possibly can especially given
many of them are uh cost neutral indeed
they will improve the economic
productivity and performance of our city
by enabling more accessibility and
diversity uh and there is a very very
very strong public good element not just
for people with a disability Lord Mayor
but for all City residents and
businesses and visitors to have a city
that is truly uh more inclusive for the
future so I commend the motion to you on
behalf of the
panel thank you councel Scott do I have
a second there councel ell councilor
Chan
Lord Mayor I to thank our departing
inclusion disability advisory panel
members for their service whom I've been
humbled to work with over the past two
years I've amended this motion as it
needs to acknowledge the immense amount
of work and prog the city has done and
made over the past 22 years in the areas
of disability inclusion and access it is
therefore important to correct the
record the public release of the final
report by the disability Royal
Commission on 29th of September was a
historic watershed moment for the
disability community in Australia and
indeed all Australians some of the key
recommendations relate to ending
segregation in society and the
introduction of new bodies and
legislation including a national
Disability Rights Act to enshrine
international human rights into
Australian law a new complaints
mechanism and a federal government
portfolio for disability including a
dedicated minister the report also makes
clear that any changes won't happen
overnight and need to be done in
consultation with the disability
Community it may be premature to bring a
position to council for adoption before
we know what changes federally and at at
a state level to expect there is a
highly likely risk that Council adopts a
position and are then required by the
New South Wales or Australian government
to approach the issue very differently
as required by the new subw disability
inclusions
20 every four years in consultation with
people with disability the city will
commence the review of the city's
current plan in 2024 with the current
plan expiring on the 1st of July 2025
it's therefore appropriate for the city
to consider the recommendations of the
royal commission the Australia and New
souw governments responses suggestions
made by the city's inclusion disability
advisory panel and feedback from the
border Community including people with
disability as part of that process I
want to particularly point out that
Consulting with people with disability
outside of the panel is the existing
practice of this counil this includes
first people's disability Network people
with disability Australia and down
syndrome New South Wales it's important
that the CEO considers the panel's
suggestions in the development of the
next plan
it would also take time to determine
what is feasible especially after
consideration of the responses from
other levels of government some of the
changes to planning controls may very
well fall under State planning policy
such as the recommendation of not
permitting segregated group homes the
city has indeed been proactive in
progressing and the accessibility of
City Communications this includes the
city adopting the international
standards accessibility requirements for
the City's information and
Communications technology procurement
practice and also being in line with the
city's digital and print accessibility
policy in conforming to the web contents
accessibility guidelines
2.1 uh Council Scott mentioned
employment the city current employment
plan includes a range of initiatives to
increase the proportion of people with
disability employed out the city at the
p panel meeting in June this year the
panel was provided an update on these
initiatives and provided further
feedback to the city about how to
implement them this year also in
consultation with our panel the city
reviewed the city's inclusion and
accessible events guidelines and
processes for the prioritization of
inclusive events the city's legible
Sydney way finding strategy include a
range of signage and way finding for
people with disabilities in the public
domain the city has installed more than
2,000 tactiles and Braille Street sides
and finally with regards to disability
access standards in buildings the city
does not have a legal role in enforcing
private certifi sign of better
enforcement of Standards require a whole
new complaints mechanism which is a
responsibility of the Australian
government to design and
Implement following advice from staff I
have added a Part B to bring forward as
a priority the following from councilor
Scots motion to prioritize the
visibility of people with disability in
cities Publications and platforms to
review relevant policies to ensure city
services don't procure from great fund
or participate or award new grants for
organizations that participate in
segregated services or employment or
engage or engages in restrictive
practices to repair the lift at
Alexandria town hall and to report back
with priority to council fire the CEO
updates Lord may I commend the
commission for placing human rights at
the heart of its responsibilities I also
commend our cities disability inclusion
advisory panel for their incredible and
um much needed feedback the rights of
individuals with disabilities have
shaped the efforts and they in these
rights sub substantial reforms in
Australian society that reshape
attitudes towards people with
disabilities are essential for
transformative transformative change in
our communities so I look forward to the
review of the royal commission findings
with our communities the response from
both federal and state governments for
these crucial changes to be implemented
and for reporting back to council fire
the CEO
update thank you Council
chair so is Sarah seconder for the mot
Amendment
sorry yeah deput
Mayor who do someone else have their
hand up uh councelor ellsmore councelor
Ellmore thank you um I I think this is
fantastic this is the final but very
important motion that we're voting on
for this year because it's such a
comprehensive piece of advice um from
such an important advisory panel and um
I strongly support councelor Scott's
motion um I also I just wanted to speak
briefly in relation to housing because
um the notice of motion acknowledges um
something that the city is is moving on
but an area where um over time given the
gap accessible housing for people with a
disability in a whole range of ways and
to be honest in the way that our city is
built a topic that um I we should be
discussing more often and I think this
is such an important step so I wanted to
acknowledge because we didn't get a
chance to discuss it tonight although it
is included in the documents that um
with our new planning controls the city
will be adopting the silver level and
the 15% um minimum for platinum which is
the higher standard but we're obviously
going to put that out to the community
to ask for feedback um the gap of retro
feding our existing housing as well as
ensuring standards for new housing we
have so far to go but I just want to say
I think it's a fantastic motion and it
represents clearly the expertise of the
panel I thank councelor Scott for
facilitating it it is such a huge and
important piece of work the Royal
commission um and I know everyone is
still working through it but this is an
amazing resource and is very
comprehensive and I want to say thank
you and I strongly support
it thank you Council as well so so um
councilor Scott do you wish to speak in
reply uh so we're on the amendment now
Lord Mayor oh sorry I'm getting very
tired
um coun Council chance Amendment um so
were you speaking to the
amendment councilor illmore it it'll be
the only time I speak I think the
original was Stronger so um I'm not
supporting the amendment but I'm happy
to support the motion either way um but
I won't be voting for the amendment
because I think the original is stronger
and in line with what the advisory
committee's asked
for right so do I have other speakers on
the
amendment Lord may just to um say that
um given the extensive work that the
panel has done on the original wording
it's the wording that they've supported
collectively and um as you know it's
very hard to get Collective support for
things so uh I think it is best that we
stick with the original wording um I
appreciate councilor Chan's thoughts and
his amend ments but they do water down
the action significantly delay many of
them until um implementation in 2025
which is not um what the panel wanted or
supported uh he his point about other
levels of government um needing to
respond to the roal commission
recommendations that's true but in no
way does that stop or delay the city of
Sydney from responding we have our own
obligations and uh most of the state and
territory and federal standards for
local governments are a minimum we can
always do better and I think at this
Council we should and so for that reason
I don't support the
amendment all right any other speakers
on the
amendment so no other speakers on the
amendment um Council Chan's already
spoken on the amendment so can't speak
and reply but speak to the motion when
we get back to
it so that we vote on the amendment now
yes so I'll put the amendment to you all
those fa say I in favour I have uh
councelor chair the Lord Mayor councelor
[ __ ] councelor Waring uh and councelor
Davis and those against against I have
councelor Ellmore councelor Scott
councelor Jarrett councel Welden and
councel Ganon the vote is
tied
so I deare it lost so Erin therefore uh
so uh therefore the amendment the
amendment is is carried if if you're
voting in favour Lord Mayor yes right and
so we on to the amended motion
now do I have speakers on the amended
motion Lord Mayor I just um note and
thank also Council Elmore and councelor
welen this notice of motion uh requests
that the um City's other panels
including the housing for all panel and
the um Aboriginal and test Islander
panel meet with the disability inclusion
uh panel to ensure that we can have a
conversation about how the city might
Implement recommendations of the royal
commission um there's a whole chapter on
um indigenous people with a disability
and the pan really wanted to stress the
importance of uh
intersectionality with people with a
disability and so requested uh that
these panels come together to meet and
discuss the
implementation uh I do I obviously uh as
um uh I'm not on those panels I spoke to
council Ellmore and councel Welden I'm
grateful for their uh commitment to uh
and support to see this meeting happen I
think it'll be a really productive
useful discussion and I think we'll get
um a lot of incredible expertise from
many many of the people that serve on
these three panels to again chart A
Better Way Forward for uh people with
disabilities uh in our city in
particular those with um uh
intersectional issues that of course we
know are sadly often barriers to
participation in society over and above
uh people who just have a single
issue thank you councilor Scott so I'll
put the substantive motion oh councilor
chair uh thank you Lord Mayor I I do
note um to councilors that I have um
added um which is now the substantive
motion before us to Part B which is to
really uh as a priority Fast Track um uh
the four parts of Council of Scot motion
I do want to ask the see about the
timings of those but also um with
regards to the time line of the other
requests thank
you see you Lord Mayor I will have to
get back to you now that we know what
the motion will be um and we can put
that in the SE update Emma I know is
listening thank you Lord M thank you so
I'll put the substantive motion to you
all those in favour say I those
against it's carried
unanimously thank you so that's
it so thank you all very much for your
attendance thank you for all your hard
work during the
year