Council Decides: February Ordinary Meeting

The business papers and attachments for the meeting can be found at https://lismore.nsw.gov.au/business-papers-and-agendas-for-committees-and-advisory-groups

PUBLIC ACCESS

Three people spoke on two topics during Public Access

• One speaker spoke in favour of the Vision and Blueprint.
• Two spoke in favour of the recognition of prominent Lismore residents.

  MAYORAL MINUTE(S) AND CONDOLENCE MOTIONS

  Councillors resolved to:

  • Receive the Mayoral Attendance Report for November 2023.
  • Receive and note the Condolence motion for former Lismore Mayor Mervyn King and forward a letter of condolence to the family from the Mayor.
  • Receive and note the findings of the LGNSW Cost Shifting report for the 2021/2022 financial year and write to the Premier, the NSW Treasurer and NSW Minister for Local Government requesting they urgently seek to address these costs through a combination of regulatory reform, budgetary provision and appropriate funding.

  URGENCY MOTION

  • Councillors resolved to (1) formally request that Transport for NSW urgently remove the railway bridge in Terania Street North Lismore, (2) formally request permission to urgently remove the railway bridge in Terania Street if Transport for NSW refuse to do so, subject to a funding source being identified, and (3) urgently seek legal advice regarding the fastest way to remove the railway bridge in Terania Street North Lismore if Transport for NSW refuse to do so, refuse to give council permission to do so, and a response to points 1 and 2 has not been received within 7 days.

  REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

  Councillors resolved to:

  • receive the minutes of the 6 December meeting of the Aboriginal Advisory Group and adopt the recommendations contained therein.
  • receive the minutes of the 13 December meeting of the Disability and Inclusion Advisory Group and adopt the recommendations contained therein.
  • receive the minutes of the 13 December meeting of the Capacity Capability & Recovery Roadmap Project Control Committee and adopt the recommendations contained therein.
  • receive the minutes of the 13 December meeting of the Local Traffic Committee and adopt the recommendations contained therein.
  • receive and note the minutes of the 28 December meeting of the Australia Day Awards Committee.

  REPORTS OF THE GENERAL MANAGER

  Councillors resolved to:

  • adopt the December 2023 Quarterly Budget Review Statement and approve the recommended variations.
  • receive and note the December 2024 and January 2024 Investments Report.
  • rename the Lismore Vision and Blueprint to Reimagine Lismore, establish a Reimagine Lismore Advisory Panel, prepare Terms of Reference to guide the Reimagine Lismore Advisory Panel, for consideration and endorsement by resolution of Council on or before the April Ordinary Council meeting, hold a workshop to review the Reimagine Lismore community engagement program, for endorsement by the resolution of Council, on or before March Ordinary Council meeting, continue with any scheduled community engagement options until the Reimagine Lismore community engagement program is endorsed, schedule monthly public briefings to be updated and discuss the progress of Reimagine Lismore.
  • submit an application to NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure requesting part of the Crown road of Airforce Road, East Lismore, be transferred to Lismore City Council.
  • endorse the draft Sustainable Procurement & Contracts Policy, subject to (2) below, for the purpose of placing the document on public exhibition, Council selects option 3 outlined in Table 1 in relation to the Carmichael Mine disclosure, with the amended Policy placed on public exhibition for 28 days with any submissions received reported back to Council for consideration, and in the event no submissions are received, the draft Policy be adopted at the conclusion of the exhibition period.
  • note the draft minutes of Rous County Council, Arts Northern Rivers, Richmond Tweed Regional Library and Northern Rivers Joint Organisation.

  NOTICES OF MOTION

  Councillors resolved to:

• name the new building at Oakes Oval/Crozier Field the “Adam Gilchrist AM Pavilion” name the Lismore Regional Airport terminal the “James Strong AO Terminal”, name the Gordon Pavilion grandstand the “John McMahon OAM Grandstand “, name an Oakes Oval grandstand the “Lyn Larsen AM Grandstand”, erect appropriate signage at the above venues as funding permits, and investigate internal and external funding opportunities to construct a Walk of Honour, in the vicinity of Uralba Street between Dawson and Brewster streets, of well-known Australians associated with the Lismore local government area.
• hold a workshop to consider options relating to the rate peg of 4.7% for 2024/25, to be brought back to Council for consideration and resolution at or before the April Ordinary Council meeting.
• hold a workshop to discuss a review of the planning controls that regulate rural subdivision regarding minimum lot sizes and dwelling entitlements provisions.
• meet with Rous County Council in February 2024 to work towards progressing any opportunities to determine the feasibility of connecting Nimbin to the Rous network, including consideration of the financial impacts on both Council and Rous County Council, consider all internal and external opportunities to fund any investigation to determine the feasibility, including preparing and submitting an application to the next round of the National Water Grid Fund, and include a zero-budget line item relating to the connection of Nimbin to the Rous network in Council’s integrated planning and reporting framework until such time as a funding opportunity presents itself.

CONFIDENTIAL SESSION

When the Council resumed, the Mayor reported that the following had been resolved to:

• defend the Class 4 Appeal.

• receive and note the report that the General Manager is performing his duties in line with Councils’ expectations and that of his performance agreement, and (2) at the next stage of the General Manager’s performance review the General Manager present to the Council in a confidential session and Councillors have the opportunity to present feedback to the committee prior to the completion of the review.