Agenda of Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee

Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee 6 December 2016

1.1 Declaration of pecuniary interests, significant non-pecuniary interests and less than significant non-pecuniary interests

The provisions of Chapter 14 of the Local Government Act, 1993 (the Act) regulate the way in which Councillors and designated staff of Council conduct themselves to ensure that there is no conflict between their private interests and their public role.

The Act prescribes that where a member of Council (or a Committee of Council) has a direct or indirect financial (pecuniary) interest in a matter to be considered at a meeting of the Council (or Committee), that interest must be disclosed as soon as practicable after the start of the meeting and the reasons given for declaring such interest.

As members are aware, the provisions of the Local Government Act restrict any member who has declared a pecuniary interest in any matter from participating in the discussion or voting on that matter, and requires that member to vacate the Chamber.

Council’s Code of Conduct provides that if members have a non-pecuniary conflict of interest, the nature of the conflict must be disclosed. The Code of Conduct also provides for a number of ways in which a member may manage non pecuniary conflicts of interest.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Committee Members now disclose any conflicts of interest in matters under consideration by the Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee at this meeting.

Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee 6 December 2016

2 Committee Minutes

2.1 Minutes of the Companion Animal Community Committee - 10 October 2016

TRIM REFERENCE: 2016/2766

AUTHOR: Rosemary Reid, Draftsperson

EXECUTIVE Summary

The minutes of the Companion Animal Community Committee held on 10 October 2016 are provided to the Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee for adoption.

Link To Delivery/OPerational Plan

The recommendation in this report relates to the Delivery/Operational Plan strategy “7.2 Our Community – Seek innovative and creative solutions in partnership with key stakeholders that respond to the community’s need for a safe and secure City including infrastructure and activities, recognising the needs of older people and those of younger people”.

Financial Implications

Council has been advised that as a council included in the NSW Government’s merger proposals under consideration by the Office of Local Government since referral on 6 January 2016, Council must comply with the merger proposal period guidelines issued under S23A of the Local Government Act 1993.

The guidelines instruct Council it should expend money in accordance with the detailed budget adopted for the purposes of implementing the Delivery/Operational Plan for the 2015/16 year.

Any expenditure outside the adopted budget requires the identification of clear and compelling grounds and must be approved by Council at a meeting that is open to the public. The guidelines indicate the resolution of Council for increased expenditure must specify the reasons why the expenditure is required and warranted.

If increased expenditure is greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Council’s revenue from rates in the preceding year, whichever is the greater, Council is required to exhibit the increase to the budget and consider comments received.

Council must also avoid entering into contracts or undertakings where expenditure or revenue is greater than $250,000 or 1% of the Council’s revenue from rates in the preceding year, whichever is the greater, unless the contract or undertaking is as a result of a decision or procurement process commenced prior to the merger proposal period or where entering into a contract or undertaking is reasonably necessary for the purposes of meeting the ongoing service delivery commitments of the Council or was previously approved in the Council’s Delivery/Operational Plan.

Policy and Governance Implications

Nil

Recommendation

That the recommendations made by the Companion Animals Community Committee at its meeting held on 10 October 2016 be adopted.

further considerations

Consideration has been given to the recommendation’s impact on Council’s service delivery; image and reputation; political; environmental; health and safety; employees; stakeholders and project management; and no further implications or risks have been identified.

Attachments

1 Minutes of the Meeting of the Companion Animals Community Committee held on 10 October 2016

ORANGE CITY COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE

Companion Animals Community Committee

HELD IN Councillors Workroom, Civic Centre, Byng Street, Orange

ON 10 October 2016

COMMENCING AT 4pm

1 Introduction

Attendance

Cr N Jones (Chairperson), Cr R Kidd, Ms D Coleman, Ms P Davis, Ms B Ferguson, Ms L Ferguson, Ms A Reith, Ms J Tallents, Mr J Wills, Manager Building and Environment, Companion Animal Registrar

Guest: Ms T Dolstra

1.1 Apologies and Leave of Absence

RESOLVED Cr R Kidd/Ms J Tallents

That the apologies be accepted from Dr A Taylor, Ms S Sanders, Ms M Clifford, Ms H Wood for the Companion Animals Community Committee meeting on 10 October 2016.

1.2 Acknowledgement of Country

1.3 Declaration of pecuniary interests, significant non-pecuniary interests and less than significant non-pecuniary interests

2 Previous Minutes

RESOLVED Mr J Wills/Ms J Tallents

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Companion Animals Community Committee held on 6 June 2016 (copies of which were circulated to all members) be and are hereby confirmed as a true and accurate record of the proceedings of the Companion Animals Community Committee meeting held on 6 June 2016.

3 Presentations

3.1 Dog and Cat management in public open spaces including parks and wetlands

TRIM Reference: 2016/2576

RECOMMENDATION Ms D Coleman/Mr J Wills

1 That Council investigate options in the new pound tender for an after hours service for stray animals.

2 That Council ask the RSPCA to consider reopening of after hours cages.

3 That Council advertise on the web page the after hours contacts for stray animals including stray stock.

3.2 Discussion on the need for additional off-leash areas

TRIM Reference: 2016/2577

RECOMMENDATION Cr N Jones/Ms D Coleman

1 That Council investigate further areas that would be suitable for off leash both in the North Orange and West Orange areas.

2 That Riawena Oval be not available as an off leash area during the cricket season and that appropriate signs be erected.

MATTER ARISING

RECOMMENDATION Ms J Tallents/Ms A Reith

That Council adopt the on leash area at Lake Canobolas and erect appropriate signage throughout the park.

3.3 Update on Signage and Bins in Wetland areas

TRIM Reference: 2016/2578

RECOMMENDATION Cr N Jones/Cr R Kidd

1 That Council supply garbage bins and dog bags in the parks and wetlands areas adjacent to where the signs have been placed.

2 That Council consider adjusting ranger working hours to cover early and late patrols of the park and wetlands areas.

MATTER ARISING

RECOMMENDATION Cr N Jones/Ms D Coleman

That Council support a community education program on the keeping of cats.

4 General Reports

4.1 Statistics - Customer Request - 2016/2017

TRIM Reference: 2016/2358

RECOMMENDATION Cr R Kidd/Ms A Reith

That the report on Statistics – Customer Request be noted.

Cr Neil Jones thanked the Committee for their work over the past year.

The Meeting Closed at 5.14pm

Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee 6 December 2016

3 General Reports

3.1 NSW Climate Change Policy Framework

TRIM REFERENCE: 2016/2669

AUTHOR: David Waddell, Director Development Services

EXECUTIVE Summary

The NSW Government has released a new NSW Climate Change Policy Framework. This framework provides important context for the government’s approach to climate change. There are opportunities for Council to investigate funding arising from the initiative that will be explored.

Link To Delivery/OPerational Plan

The recommendation in this report relates to the Delivery/Operational Plan strategy “11.1 Our Economy – Encourage the growth of local business, support emerging industry sectors and attract new investment to Orange”.

Financial Implications

The guidelines instruct Council it should expend money in accordance with the detailed budget adopted for the purposes of implementing the Delivery/Operational Plan for the 2015/16 year.

Policy and Governance Implications

Nil

Recommendation

That the report by the Director Development Services on NSW Climate Change Policy Framework be acknowledged.

further considerations

SUPPORTING INFORMATION

The NSW Climate Change Policy Framework sets two aspirational objectives:

· Achieving net zero emissions by 2050

· NSW being more resilient to a changing climate

The government has also announced a $500 million funding package and released two draft climate change and energy savings plans for public consultation.

· Draft Climate Change Fund Strategic Plan (PDF 2.9MB)

· A Draft Plan to Save NSW Energy and Money (PDF 705KB)

Staff will be working on how to best leverage funding from this program.

The foreword to the Strategy is reproduced below. The two full documents are available on the OEH website.

“This plan strengthens New South Wales’s position as the national leader in energy efficiency, and includes new measures to help households and businesses save energy and money. This is an important step towards our aspirational objective for New South Wales to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The NSW Government is serious about helping households deal with cost-of-living pressures, including energy bills. Energy efficiency is one of the best tools available to do this. By saving money through energy efficiency, we can ease cost-of-living pressures on households, reduce the cost of doing business, place downward pressure on energy prices and deliver essential services more efficiently.

In 2013, the NSW Government released an Energy Efficiency Action Plan that included an ambitious target to help NSW households and businesses save 16,000 gigawatt hours of energy by 2020. This target is the equivalent of saving enough energy to power over 2.6 million NSW homes. Meeting this target was one of the NSW Government’s election commitments in 2015.

A Draft Plan to Save NSW Energy and Money is our plan for achieving this target. It includes our preferred options for households, businesses, government and industry that will unlock energy and bill savings opportunities across the State’s economy. In doing so, the plan will build on our leadership in energy efficiency, and deliver benefits to households and businesses.

Existing NSW Government programs are expected to reduce New South Wales electricity prices by an average of $3.58 per megawatt hour between 2008 and 2020.

In 2015, we enhanced the NSW Energy Savings Scheme to save an extra 524 gigawatt hours of electricity a year by 2020, and save households and businesses an additional $8 billion on their energy bills between 2015 and 2040.

The preferred options in this plan represent a further sustained effort to bring down power bill costs. Together, they are estimated to deliver over 1300 gigawatt hours of electricity savings a year in 2020, and around $17 billion in bill savings by 2050.

It’s particularly important that we help those most affected by rising energy costs save money on their bills. That's why this plan includes a proposal to expand the $26.8 million Home Energy Action Program to help households living in public, community and Aboriginal housing access energy efficiency.

Saving energy also delivers real benefits to the economy. Money that we don’t spend on energy bills can be spent on more productive uses, like growing a business. As well as bill savings, the options in the plan will be a shot in the arm for the NSW economy, estimated to encourage around $1.9 billion in private investment by 2050.

To deliver these benefits, we propose to work with industry in New South Wales to improve energy productivity. Saving energy can directly benefit our industry by lowering running costs. In fact, the measures in this plan are estimated to help NSW businesses and industry save up to $9.1 billion on bills by 2050. This will mean higher productivity for NSW industry and increased international competiveness.

This plan can deliver big benefits to New South Wales, but we can’t achieve these benefits alone. We will need to form strong partnerships between the State government, local governments, homeowners, landlords, tenants and businesses to ensure New South Wales achieves these benefits.”