Clarence Valley Council held its monthly Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday, 27 February at Grafton Council Chambers.
Three Mayoral Minutes and three Notice of Motions were considered, followed by a total of 25 items, with 11 items called for debate, 14 adopted by consent, in a meeting that lasted 4 hours.
- Watch the recording of the February Clarence Valley Council Meeting here
- View the February meeting Agenda and Minutes
⬛️ Mayoral Minute: Council Calls on State to Ease Cost Shift Burden
Clarence Valley Council Mayor, Cr Peter Johnstone has called on the Premier, the NSW Treasurer and the NSW Minister for Local Government to urgently address the unrelenting growth of cost shifting and the impacts of rate pegging on local councils.
Cr Johnstone said the findings of a recent Local Government New South Wales report identified that $1.36 billion of expenses had been passed on to local councils to fund, which represented an increase of $540 million since the last report was commissioned for the 2017/2018 financial year.
"This represents an average additional cost of more than $460 for every ratepayer across the state and that's unacceptable, we deserve better, and I will continue to work at a local and regional level to ensure we can continue to provide the essential facilities and services our community relies on."
Cr Johnstone said the NSW Government cost shifting policies would ultimately impact Council's financial capacity to deliver grass roots services to their communities, such as the ability to maintain local road networks, parks, and community services.
"For example, every year the costs for the Emergency Services and Waste Levies directly impact our bottom line, and if this cost shifting continues our community will ultimately get less or go without, so it is important that the State introduce regulatory and budgetary controls to rectify the situation."
⬛️ Mayor Johnstone to attend the National General Assembly Conference
The Mayor will attend the 30th National General Assembly (NGA) in Canberra in July 2024.
The 2024 NGA allow the Mayor to engage with the Federal Government and key Ministers.
This will strengthen local governments, and their capacity to deliver services and infrastructure to local communities across the nation.
In the Ordinary Council Meeting, Mayor Johnstone said it's important to represent Council and make sure the Federal Ministers and the Federal Government are aware of the Clarence Valley and the things we can offer.
⬛️ Notice of Motion: Accessible Beach Audit
A Notice of Motion was heard at the Ordinary Council meeting highlighting a request from the Clarence Valley Access Committee for an accessible beach audit of Clarence Valley beaches.
Councillor Karen Toms has been on the Access Committee for eight years now and hasn't been shy in expressing her passion for accessibility.
The motion proposed to engage Accessible Beaches Australia, a registered charity, and a leading authority on beach access, to conduct an accessible beach audit on Main Beach Yamba, Main Beach Minnie Water and Turners Beach Yamba, to assist in progressing Council's delivery of our Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2023-26 and make our beaches accessible for everyone.
The audit will be funded by the general fund and it is critical to move forward to ensure our beaches in the Clarence Valley are accessible to all. This audit will also add weight to any grant funding opportunities, and identify priority projects in future years capital works programs.
There are many components that make a beach accessible like accessible parking in a well-located position close to access points, wide clear pathways, accessible bathrooms as well as direct beach access from the pathways.
Clarence Valley Council currently has beach wheelchairs that the community can use for free at selected holiday parks including Brooms Head Holiday Park, Minnie Water Holiday Park and Calypso Holiday Park.
Cr Toms' nomination to engage Accessible Beaches Australia was supported eight votes to one with the completed report to be brought back to Council on or before the May Ordinary Council Meeting.
⬛️ Policy Report
Four policies will be placed on public exhibition following the February Ordinary Council Meeting and if there are no submissions that change the intent of the policies, they'll be adopted.
The Stormwater System Maintenance Policy outlines Council's level of service for maintenance activities and details its procedures for the management of its stormwater system network and related infrastructure.
The Stock on Roads Policy has had the Authorisation of the Local Road Authority to allow grazing/walking of stock on public roads updated in the policy.
There have been minimal changes to the Pressure Sewerage Policy that do not change the policy's intent. The only major change to the policy was the transfer to the new template.
The Modern Slavery Protection Policy is a new policy and is required by new legislation to ensure Council takes reasonable steps to ensure the goods and services they buy are not the product of modern slavery. Modern slavery is not confined to far-off places. Sadly, it occurs in Australia, with the Australian Institute of Criminology estimating that up to 1900 people were living in conditions of modern slavery in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Meanwhile, the Debt Recovery – Ordinary Rates and Annual Charges Policy and Debt Recovery – Water Billing Policy did not receive any submissions while on exhibition and have been adopted.
To make a submission on the four policies out for public comment, visit www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/on-exhibition
⬛️ 2022/2023 Annual Financial Statements
The Council adopted the audited 2022/2023 Annual Financial Statements (AFS's) at its meeting. The General Purpose and Special Purpose Financial Statements were signed by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, General Manager and the Responsible Accounting Officer. Council's AFS's are due in October post the end of the Financial Year. However, an extension to lodge the 2022/2023 AFS's on the 22December 2023 and then subsequently 29February 2024 was granted.
These documents will be lodged with the Office of Local Government on the 29February 2024. Under the Local Government Act, Council is required to present its audited consolidated Annual Financial Statements to the public.
