COUNCIL 23 JUNE 2014

ITEM 12. NOTICES OF MOTION

ASSISTING KINGS CROSS AND OXFORD STREET PRECINCTS TO DIVERSIFY CULTURAL AND ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL ECONOMIES AND COMMUNITIES (S103136)

1. By Councillor Green

It is resolved that Council:

(A) note:

(i) the following City of Sydney Policies, Strategies and Action Plans:

(a) draft Cultural Policy, in particular:

i. Strategic Priority 2.1: Develop strategic partnerships with key cultural institutions etc; and

ii. Strategic Priority 3.32: Promote interagency collaboration with relevant state government departments on key cultural sector issues and promote complementary programs that tackle specific sector needs and that leverage the combined value of all agencies;

(b) Live Music and Performance Action Plan;

(c) Economic Development Strategy;

(d) Tourism Action Plan; and

(e) Retail Action Plan;

(ii) the City of Sydney’s commitment to implement the relevant Citizens Jury recommendations for a Vibrant and Safe City Night Life, in particular, “the implementation of varied night-time entertainment options that are suitable for a range of age groups and cultures”;

(iii) that alcohol-related violence is still occurring in parts of these precincts, and that the NSW Government has introduced further alcohol restrictions;

(iv) reports of downturn in business (both day and night) in these precincts and the local communities expressing the desire for sustainable cultural experiences;

(v) the current climate in these precincts now presents an opportunity to diversify cultural and entertainment options (both day and night) to cater to a broader audience without causing adverse impact on local residents; and

(vi) that local economies and main streets are of crucial importance for the City’s economy as a whole; and

(B) request the Chief Executive Officer:

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(i) in support of diversification opportunities in these precincts, and as soon as practicable, liaise with directors of Sydney festivals (Writers, Film, Comedy, Sydney Festival, Vivid, Good Food Month), precinct business chambers and community representatives to explore hosting some of the festival and cultural events in Kings Cross and Oxford Street premises;

(ii) where the City manages events and festivals such as Art and About, explore the opportunity as soon as possible for the inclusion of these two precincts in hosting events/installations; and

(iii) report back to Council via a CEO update.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET (S103137)

2. By Councillor Doutney

It is resolved that Council:

(A) note with concern:

(i) the Federal Government’s decision in the 2014/15 Budget to freeze indexation for Commonwealth funded Financial Assistance Grants;

(ii) that the indexation freeze is projected to cut $288 million from funding to local councils in NSW which will directly impact on council’s ability to provide essential services and maintain and build infrastructure; and

(iii) that 152 local councils in NSW currently have a combined infrastructure backlog of $7.2 billion; and

(B) call on the Federal Government to immediately abandon its decision to freeze the indexation of Financial Assistance Grants and reinstate the $1 billion of previously promised funding to Local Governments across Australia.

PLAIN ENGLISH (S103137)

3. By Councillor Doutney

It is resolved that Council:

(A) note:

(i) that from time to time the City is required to notify residents in writing regarding development applications, construction, proposed and current voluntary planning agreements, asbestos removal, street works and other planning or environmental changes that may affect them and, where relevant, invite residents to make submissions on particular proposals;

(ii) that these notices sent to residents often need to communicate complex proposals or conditions; and

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(iii) that, in addition to the legal requirement to notify residents about certain proposals or developments, Council also has an ethical obligation to ensure that residents fully comprehend notifications which may affect them: and

(B) call on the Chief Executive Officer to review the content of standard Council notices sent to residents and have them amended accordingly to ensure that:

(i) Council’s legal obligations are fulfilled; and

(ii) the contents of the notice are explained in plain language.

JACARANDA TREE AT INTERSECTION OF ABERCROMBIE AND MYRTLE STREETS, CHIPPENDALE (S103132)

4. By Councillor Mandla

It is resolved that Council:

(A) note that:

(i) the Broadway Cycle Link item brought to Council in June 2013 was 39 pages long and contained Attachments A, B and C;

(ii) the Broadway Cycle item was held over to a future Council meeting to cater for concerns from Councillors and Residents;

(iii) the Broadway Cycle Link item came back to Council in September 2013. It was 81 pages long and contained Attachments A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H;

(iv) the Broadway Cycle Link item was voted 6 for and 4 against;

(v) the Broadway Cycle item called for the removal of a Jacaranda tree at the intersection of Abercrombie Street and Myrtle Street to make way for a bike traffic signal;

(vi) the location on the Jacaranda tree is next to an existing bike lane with no bike traffic signal; and

(vii) a Jacaranda tree can absorb and store up to 12kg of carbon dioxide per year and a Jacaranda tree can live upward of 100 years; and

(B) request the Chief Executive Officer investigate further options for the placement of the bike traffic signal, including placement on either the right or left of the traffic island at the front of the new proposed pedestrian crossing, to obviate the need for removal of the Jacaranda tree.

SMOKE FREE TRIAL FOR MARTIN PLACE (S103139)

5. By Councillor Forster

It is resolved that Council:

(A) note that:

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(i) smoking is legal but is a recognised health hazard, for both smokers and those exposed to second-hand smoke;

(ii) cigarette butts take 15 years to break down and are a significant environmental problem for City streets and waterways;

(iii) Martin Place is Sydney’s premier civic open space, and is a gathering place for thousands of the city’s nearly 1 million residents, workers and visitors each day;

(iv) if 50,000 people pass through Martin Place each day and 10% of them smoke one cigarette, that equates to 1,825,000 butts, equivalent to a small tanker truck load, that need to be collected and disposed of each year;

(v) the City of Melbourne has undertaken a highly successful six-month smoke- free trial in The Causeway Lane between Little Collins Street and Bourke Street Mall;

(vi) Waverley Council has banned smoking on all its public beaches, including Bondi, since 2004 and, although the ban is promoted and enforced by rangers, no fines have been issued over the last decade; and

(vii) good public policy and civic leadership is not just about enforcement, but also about promoting discussion and awareness about healthier lifestyles; and

(B) request the Chief Executive Officer to:

(i) investigate options for conducting a six-month trial under which Martin Place would be made a smoke-free zone; and

(ii) report back to Council with the findings of that investigation before the end of August 2014.

CHIPPENDALE LEAKY DRAINS SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT (S103139)

6. By Councillor Forster

It is resolved that Council

(A) note that:

(i) according to the City of Sydney’s Decentralised Water Master Plan, stormwater run-off within the Local Government Area (LGA) totals 21.6 gigalitres/year, most of which ends up polluting rivers and bays;

(ii) Chippendale’s current stormwater treatment features, the City of Sydney- installed and maintained raingardens, come with high capital and maintenance costs;

(iii) “leaky drains” harvest rainwater by intercepting it from house roofs and downpipes and then redirect it into the street verge to irrigate kerbside plants and trees;

(iv) since 2008, approximately 20 leaky drains have been constructed in Chippendale at a total cost of less than $300;

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(v) those leaky drains have redirected more than 4 million litres of rainwater which would otherwise have run off into Sydney Harbour;

(vi) the installation of leaky drains across Chippendale could harvest approximately 50 million litres/year of stormwater run-off which would irrigate existing plants and trees, mitigate urban “heat island” effects and relieve pressure on stormwater drainage systems, enabling them to better cope with frequent flooding, all of which are key outcomes of the City’s Decentralised Water Master Plan; and

(vii) a leaky drain project could be implemented across Chippendale with community support at an estimated cost of around $10,000 and would serve as a trial for other suburbs in the LGA; and

(B) request that the Chief Executive Officer:

(i) investigate the implementation of a leaky drains project across the suburb of Chippendale;

(ii) include in the investigation an assessment of the costs and benefits of providing a rate rebate to any property owner who installs a leaky drain at their property for so long as they maintain the leaky drain; and

(iii) report back to Council with the results of that investigation before the end of July 2014.

GOING HOME, STAYING HOME (S103132)

7. By Councillor Mandla

It is resolved that Council:

(A) note that:

(i) the NSW Government recently released its Going Home, Staying Home reforms for dealing with homelessness;

(ii) the reforms initially proposed the reallocation of a substantial amount of existing funding for services in the City of Sydney, including some for specialist homeless women’s services;

(iii) Councillor Edward Mandla raised these concerns with the Community Services Minister Gabrielle Upton;

(iv) Councillor Christine Forster personally visited the Minister to raise concerns about the reallocation of homelessness funding away from inner city services;

(v) the Minister subsequently announced a record $515 million package for homelessness services; and

(vi) the Minister also announced that $8.6 million would be restored to inner city homelessness services, including $2 million a year for specialist women's services; and

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(B) request the Lord Mayor to:

(i) write to Community Services Minister Gabrielle Upton thanking her for restoring $8.6 million to inner city homelessness services, including $2 million for specialist women's services; and

(ii) write to Councillor Christine Forster thanking her for her efforts to restore the $8.6 million to inner city services, including $2 million a year for inner-city women's services.

THE ALCOHOL COMMUNITY ACTION PROJECT (ACAP) (S103138)

8. By Councillor Vithoulkas

It is resolved that Council

(A) note:

(i) the Alcohol Community Action Project (ACAP) is a pilot project, funded by donations, that supports people and organisations who want to prevent and redress alcohol-related harms in their communities across NSW in collaboration with the NSW government, local councils, police, health and the industry;

(ii) the ACAP helps explain to residents the complexities of problematic liquor- related Development Applications (DAs), liquor licensing and related approvals, and complaints about liquor outlets;

(iii) ACAP helps people within communities to mobilise and achieve:

(a) a community free from alcohol-related harms so everyone can safely enjoy public spaces day and night;

(b) an informed and equal say on all liquor-related decisions that impact upon their community; and

(c) a community that is not unfairly burdened with the high costs and dislocations of alcohol-related harms arising from the supply, promotion and availability of alcohol;

(iv) ACAP offers their advisory service free of charge to the community;

(v) 80% of NSW adults believe that Australia has a problem with excessive drinking or alcohol abuse (source: Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education);

(vi) the cost of alcohol in NSW – the total societal cost of alcohol abuse in New South Wales to be $3.87 billion per annum, or $1,565 per household. This includes lost productivity in the workplace and home, which accounts for the largest portion of total costs (source: BOSCAR);

(vii) the number of alcohol related hospitalisations in NSW in 2012-2013 was 51,981 (source BOSCAR);

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(viii) the City of Sydney has the highest number of licensed venues per capita in NSW 9 source City of Sydney);

(ix) ACAP requires funding to continue this important work as a community advocate; and

(x) in the City of Sydney in 2013 there were 446 reported cases of alcohol related violent assaults(source BOSCAR); and

(B) request that the Lord Mayor write to the Premier, Mike Baird, requesting that the Government provide funding to ACAP to continue its important community advocacy work.

LOW COST RENTAL ACCOMMODATION – FEASIBILITY STUDY (S103133)

9. By Councillor Scott

It is resolved that Council:

(A) note:

(i) the City of Sydney’s target of 7.5% of all dwellings in the City of Sydney to be affordable housing dwellings by 2030;

(ii) in 2013, only 0.7% of all dwellings in the City of Sydney were affordable housing dwellings;

(iii) the Affordable Rental Housing Strategy 2009-2014 set out to investigate the feasibility of providing financial incentives to owners of low cost rental accommodation to assist in its retention; and

(iv) the urgent need for action by Council to facilitate affordable and low-cost rental housing in the City of Sydney; and

(B) request the Chief Executive Officer initiate a feasibility study into the provision of incentives to owners of low cost rental accommodation in the City of Sydney, including recipients of NRAS funding to continue to offer low-cost housing beyond the scheme’s 10 year timeframe, and provide a report to Council.

NATIONAL RENTAL AFFORDABILITY SCHEME (S103133)

10. By Councillor Scott

It is resolved that Council:

(A) note:

(i) the Federal Labor Government instituted the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) in 2008, with the aims of:

(a) increasing the supply of new affordable rental housing;

(b) reducing the costs for low and moderate income households; and

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(c) encouraging large-scale investment and innovative delivery of affordable housing;

(ii) the NRAS saw over 14,000 new homes built across the country since its inception, and a further 24,000 new homes due to be delivered;

(iii) in the City of Sydney, the NRAS delivered 106 new dwellings in Camperdown, 32 new dwellings in Ultimo, and 19 dwellings in Zetland, with further dwellings proposed to be delivered under the NRAS in Chippendale, Glebe, and Zetland, providing quality housing for people on low incomes at a rent 20% below the market rate;

(iv) the Federal Coalition Government has announced that the fifth round of funding of the NRAS, equal to $235 million, will not proceed; and

(v) that these funding cuts will jeopardise the provision of new affordable rental housing not only in the City of Sydney, but also throughout Australia;

(B) oppose the Commonwealth Government’s funding cuts to the fifth round of the NRAS; and

(C) write to the Prime Minister, the Hon. Tony Abbott MP, expressing the Council’s opposition to the funding cuts to the NRAS.

WILLIAM COOPER (S103138)

11. By Councillor Vithoulkas

It is resolved that Council:

(A) note that:

(i) William Cooper (c1860 – 1941) was an Australian Aboriginal political activist and community leader and founder of the Australian Aboriginal League;

(ii) William Cooper's long campaign for Aboriginal rights, especially land rights, began with the Maloga petition in 1887;

(iii) the petition held that Aborigines of the district, "should be granted sections of land not less than 100 acres per family in fee simple or else at a small nominal rental annually with the option of purchase at such prices as shall be deemed reasonable for them under the circumstances, always bearing in mind that the Aborigines were the former occupiers of the land. Such a provision would enable them to earn their own livelihood...";

(iv) William Cooper demonstrated his compassion for others by, on 6 December 1938, leading a delegation of the Australian Aboriginal League to the German Consulate in Melbourne to deliver a petition which condemned the "cruel persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi government of Germany." The protest has been referred to as "the only private protest against the Germans following Kristallnacht";

(v) William Cooper has been honoured by many Australian and International politicians and organisations and an academic chair has been established in his name at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem;

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(vi) William Cooper believed a permanent Aboriginies' Day should be established to be observed in churches across Australia from 1940. It is still commemorated today, but is now known as NAIDOC week, celebrated throughout Australia;

(vii) NAIDOC Week is to be celebrated this year from 6 to 13 July 2014; and

(viii) NAIDOC is a celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples past and present, not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians in all walks of life; and

(B) request that:

(i) the Chief Executive Officer consult with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel on the proposal to honour the life of William Cooper; and

(ii) recommendations from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel be reported to Councillors via the CEO Update.

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