Library review approved
Councillors tonight endorsed the draft Wagga Wagga City Library Review which was completed after community and stakeholder consultation.
Council also noted and supported the immediate Stage 1 operational space improvement.
The focus of the first immediate stage is to redesign the existing library spaces and to examine adjacent spaces that could be considered to accommodate the community use needs as identified in the review.
The review is a recommendation in Council's adopted Cultural Plan 2020-2030.
RP-1 WAGGA WAGGA CITY LIBRARY REVIEW
Inland Rail representatives
Councillor Rod Kendall has been nominated and endorsed as Council's representative for the Inland Rail Albury to Illabo Project Community Consultative Committee.
The Community Consultative Committee will provide a forum for discussion between the ARTC and representatives of the community, stakeholder groups and local councils on issues directly relating to the project.
Council's Director Projects and Strategy Darren Raeck has also been recommended as a staff member to join the committee.
RP-2 INLAND RAIL – ALBURY TO ILLABO – COMMUNITY CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE NOMINATION
Report to outline funds criteria
Council will hold a workshop and receive a report back to the 22 February 2021 Ordinary Meeting outlining a draft eligibility criteria for the use of funds within the Community Works Reserve.
RP-3 COMMUNITY WORKS RESERVE
Financial performance update
Council has been successful in securing a number of funding opportunities to go towards various projects over the next two financial years.
These include:
- Lake Albert Road Urban Asphalt Stage 3
$2,134K - NSW Government Fixing Local Roads Grant Income ($1,600K), Urban Asphalt Budget ($170K) and Heavy Patching Budget ($364K)
Funding has been allocated to the Stage 3 upgrade of Lake Albert Road which will take place over two financial years.
Lake Albert Road Urban Asphalt Stage 3A (Lord Baden Powell Drive to Warrawong Street - 783m) will be delivered in 2020/21 and Stage 3B (Fay Avenue to Stanley Street - 762m) in 2021/22. The estimated completion is 30 June 2022.
- Branching Out: Wagga's Plan to Grow Urban Resilience
$72K - Local Government NSW Grant Income
Council was successful in securing grant funding from the recent Local Government NSW "Increasing Resilience to Climate Change" grants program to fund a priority action from Council's Climate Change Risk Assessment & Adaptation Options Report 2018.
With projections of increases in severity and frequency of heatwaves and increases in average temperatures for the region the project "Branching Out: Wagga's Plan to Grow Urban Resilience" will involve the capture, processing and analysis of high-resolution aerial photography and satellite imagery of Wagga's canopy coverage and identification of urban heat islands (UHI).
The mapping and analysis will allow Council to set future targets and identify trends across all suburbs.
The resultant Urban Canopy Plan will help inform Council's Street Tree Strategy & Masterplan and enable more strategic placement and planting design in locations where UHI effects occur, prioritising vulnerable community groups effected the most by the impacts of climate change such as young children, the elderly and those in areas of socio-economic disadvantage.
Estimated completion is 30 June 2021.
- Library Capital Works Improvements
$51K - NSW State Public Library funding
Council has been advised the 2020/21 NSW State Public Library Funding for the Library Subsidy and Local Priority Funding will be $51K higher than what has been budgeted. Taking into account existing commitments from the funds, there is then $127K remaining from the funding which is proposed to be used for Stage 1 of the Immediate Capital Works Improvements in the Library as detailed in the RP-1 Library Review Report, also presented to Council tonight.
- Tarcutta Mural and History Project
$15K - Federal Government funding
Council has been successful in securing Federal Government grant funding under the Regional Tourism Bushfire Recovery Grants program for the Tarcutta Mural and History Project.
This project involves the development of a large-scale mural positioned on the side of the Tarcutta War Memorial Hall along with the development of an app-based audio experience to accompany the mural.
A creative learning workshop with the Tarcutta Public School students is also planned. The project is aimed at increasing visitation to the township, celebrating the town's rich history and instilling a pride in the town's military and soldier settler history in its younger generation.
The total grant amount is $30K with half allocated in 2020/21 and half in 2021/22. Estimated completion date is 30 December 2021.
RP-4 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE REPORT AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2020
Natural Disasters LEP provision
A new natural disasters clause in the Wagga Wagga Local Environment Plan 2010 was endorsed tonight after Council agreed to opt-in to the new state-wide provision.
Council will request the State Government engage in a community notification and education process with residents. Council agreed to be involved in this process to ensure the community is aware the purpose of the clause is to remove "red tape" and does not introduce any new or different assessment criteria which might be used to refuse a development application.
The clause ensures that development consent can be granted for the repair or replacement of a dwelling that is damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster despite any provisions in the LEP which would otherwise prevent the consent authority from doing so.
RP-5 WAGGA WAGGA LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN 2010 – NATURAL DISASTERS CLAUSE
Expenses and Facilities Policy
An amended Councillor Expenses and Facilities Policy has been endorsed. The public exhibition of the draft policy received no submissions.
RP-6 COUNCILLOR EXPENSES AND FACILITIES POLICY - POL 025
Digitising records contract
Council has accepted the offer of Microsystems Pty Ltd for the digitising of Council records at its submitted Schedule of Rates in its alternate offer.
CONF-1 RFT2021-07 DIGITISING OF COUNCIL RECORDS
Contract extension for treatment plants
Council has agreed to issue Downer Australia Pty Ltd a "Notice of Extension of Term" for five years, expiring 25 May 2027, of Design Build Operate (DBO) Contract No.12/2007, and negotiation of tolling and service provisions for the remainder of the current 10-year contract.
The contract relates to the operation of Council's sewage treatment plants.
CONF-2 NARRUNG ST, BISTF AND KOORINGAL SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS OPERATION - NEGOTIATION OF DBO CONTRACT NO.12/2007
