Environmental Sustainability
Policy Committee
Agenda
3 July 2018
Notice is hereby given, in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 1993 that an Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee meeting of ORANGE CITY COUNCIL will be held in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Byng Street, Orange on Tuesday, 3 July 2018.
Garry Styles
General Manager
For apologies please contact Administration on 6393 8218.
Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee 3 July 2018
2.1 Minutes of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee - 4 May 2018
Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee 3 July 2018
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.
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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. |
RECORD NUMBER: 2018/1448
AUTHOR: David Waddell, Director Development Services
EXECUTIVE Summary
The Environmental Sustainability Community Committee met on 4 May 2018 and the recommendations from that meeting are presented 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 Preserve - Ensure best practice use of renewable energy options for Council and community projects”.
Financial Implications
Nil
Policy and Governance Implications
Nil
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1 That Council acknowledge the reports presented to the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee at its meeting of 4 May 2018. 2 That Council determine recommendation 3.4 from the minutes of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting of 4 May 2018. 3 That the remainder of the minutes of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting of 4 May 2018 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 Environmental Sustainability Community Committee held on 4 May 2018
2 Agenda - ESCC 4 May 2018 Agenda, D18/30050⇩
ORANGE CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE
Environmental Sustainability Community Committee
HELD IN Councillors Workroom, Civic Centre, Byng Street, Orange
ON 4 May 2018
COMMENCING AT 8.00am
1 Introduction
Attendance
Cr S Nugent (Chairperson), Cr J McRae (Deputy Mayor), Ms Shahreen Alford, Mr Robert Alford, Mrs Neina Campbell, Mr Ronald Finch, Mr Gavin Hillier, Mrs Kate Hook (arrived at 9.10am), Mr Andrew Kennedy, Mr Nick King, Dr David Mallard, Ms Melanie McDonell, Ms Annella Powell, Mrs Anne Salter, Mr Cyril Smith, Mr Peter West, Director Development Services, Manager Building and Environment, Water Treatment Manager, Water Compliance Coordinator
1.1 Apologies and Leave of Absence
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RESOLVED Mr A Kennedy/Mrs A Salter That the apologies be accepted from Cr M Previtera, Mr D Fock, Mrs M Brown for the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting on 4 May 2018. |
1.2 Acknowledgement of Country
1.3 Declaration of pecuniary interests, significant non-pecuniary interests and less than significant non-pecuniary interests
Mrs Kate Hook declared a pecuniary interest because she has started a business involving electric cars. (Mrs Hook declared the interest after the meeting closed.)
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That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee held on 23 February 2018 (copies of which were circulated to all members) be and are hereby confirmed as a true and accurate record of the proceedings of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting held on 23 February 2018. |
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TRIM Reference: 2018/1108 |
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Cr Nugent advised that the Cities Power Partnership Pledges were adopted by Council on 1 May 2018. A generic energy efficiency pledge was substituted for Pledge 5. A number of actions now need to be pursued: 1 A practical action plan against each pledge needs to be done. The Director Development Services will do this as soon as possible and will prioritise. The renewable energy pledge will be the first pledge actioned. 2 A report is to be prepared for the next ESCC meeting. 3 Orange City Council needs to partner with two other Councils. The Director Development Services will circulate a web link to members to consider possible Councils. The choice can be based on location or on what other councils have done/are doing/projects etc. Cr Nugent called for input from Committee members as to which Councils to partner with. 4 Ms Powell mentioned that the Economic Development Community Committee is also investigating issues in this area and that ESCC should work with them. |
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TRIM Reference: 2018/1109 |
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China has significantly minimised the amount of recycled waste it is accepting. Visy has agreed to take material at a premium of $60 per tonne. The Government will pay a subsidy but on the condition that Councils have strategic plans in place. Netwaste is currently working on the regional plan that includes Orange. Cr Nugent stated that it could be an opportunity to force Australia to take responsibility for recycling; and that we still need to enforce the message that people should still be recycling – we do not want people to start putting recyclables into landfill. Mr Kennedy asked how we could work harder in a local context to reduce recycling at the front end of the problem. Ms Alford commented that the actual effects caused by how we collect our rubbish also need to be investigated. We need stronger roads and bigger turning circles – there is an urban impact caused by the size of garbage trucks. |
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3.2 Waste Recycling (cont) TRIM Reference: 2018/1109 |
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Mr West stated that the speed in responding to this crisis is important – Council is urged to keep the community informed on this issue. Mr King mentioned that with every problem there is an opportunity – and we need to see what opportunities arise from this problem. It can be a good thing that we have to take responsibility for our own recyclables. Cr McRae stated that it was a good opportunity for community consultation. |
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TRIM Reference: 2018/1110 |
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A verbal report was given by the Director Development Services. Mr King advised that on 24 May 2017 Electrolux was designated a contaminated site and requested that Council needs to consider an updated assessment of the site and the associated water table. He would like to see Council test for the chemicals in appropriate areas associated with the Electrolux site as there is a need for public reassurance. Mr Finch advised that a thorough analysis was undertaken at the time of decommissioning. The reports have already been provided to Council. The Water Treatment Management advised that the site was tested for over 260 chemicals and he will send a summary to the Committee. Mr Kennedy asked if the old saleyards site was considered a contaminated site. The Water Treatment Manager said “no” (it is in the same sub-catchment). Mr Alford stated that we need more information about where groundwater actually flows through the Orange LGA. |
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TRIM Reference: 2018/1121 |
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1 Development of a Council policy for street lighting, whereby all new and additional street lighting and flood lighting consists of low energy LED lights. Mr Alford discussed the high operating costs and low life expectancy of the current lights. There is one subdivision in north orange that is part LED lighting and part sodium lighting. There is a need to recommend to Council that all new lighting should be LED lighting. The Director Development Services stated that the draft Subdivision Code includes a requirement for LED lighting – and this can be considered in a plan for the Cities Power Partnership pledge. |
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4.1 Future Work Program (cont) |
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The opportunity was given for Committee members who were not present at the last meeting to put forward areas of interest. Mr Smith advised that his area of interest is water. Cr McRae advised that she is interested in shopping trolleys (especially in creeks) and littering. They are both everyday problems and we need to work with supermarkets and the Tidy Towns Committee. Education is needed. Ms Powell advised that she is passionate about communication and education. Mr West was pleased that previous ESCC interests are on the list. He is most interested in biodiversity – including threatened and invasive species. He suggested “wetlands” as a separate area of interest. There are large gaps in our knowledge of biodiversity so it is challenging to compile and implement plans. He would like to see an action plan, targets and priorities mapped out for biodiversity in the Orange LGA. Ms Alford suggested the need for some grant funding to use in this regard. Mr King advised that there could be an overlap with biodiversity with the Parks Trees & Waterways Committee. Mr King said that the Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Orange (ECCO) were looking at particulate pollution (e.g. wood smoke) and would like something specific on this issue. The Manager Building and Environment advised that negotiations were underway with the EPA to install a weather station at Jaeger Reserve to monitor air particulates. 2 Separate planning meeting Cr Nugent suggested that a separate planning meeting be convened to look at action planning, which the Committee agreed to. Ms Powell agreed to facilitate the meeting with the help of Mr Kennedy. It was decided to hold the meeting from 5pm to 8pm on Monday, 14 May 2018. 3 Sub-committees/Working Groups These are to be determined at the special planning meeting to be held on Monday, 14 May 2018. |
The Meeting Closed at 9.35AM.
