AGENDA TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING

Date: Thursday 4 May 2017 Time: 9.15 a.m. (for 9.30 am start) Location: The Coal Loader, Balls Head Drive, Waverton [See page 2 for map]

Start Finish H:m Pg 9:30am 9:55am 0:25 Administrative Matters 3 1.1 Opening 3 1.2 Attendance and apologies 3 1.3 Confirmation of Minutes 3 1.4 Business Arising - Signage 3 - Spearfishing & - Plastic Bags 4 - Urban heat mapping - Cost data spreadsheet 1.5 Next Meeting 3 – Jon Stiebel, Inner West Council: WSUD Decision- Council Presentation 9.55am 10.10am 0.15 Making Tool 10.10am 11.20am 1.10 Roundtable 5 11.20am 11.35am 0.15 Morning Tea 11.35am 12.35pm 1.00 Update on SCCG Activities and Projects 8 0:25 Collaboration 8 SPLASH 8 Action Plan: Systems Management for Healthy Waterways 8 Regional Flying Fox Approach 8 Summerama Program 9 0:05 Capacity Building 9 ’s Salty Communities 9 Emergency Management Health Check for Local Government 9 Connected Corridors for Biodiversity 9 0.10 Advocacy 10 SCCG Submissions 10 0.20 Research 10 Grants 10

Discussion Grants – Water Quality Monitoring 11 12.35pm 12.40pm 0:05 General Business 11 SCCG Resourcing Plan 11

Grants, Events and Awards 11 – David Banbury, North Sydney Council: Coal Loader Council Presentation 13 12.40pm 1.00pm 0.20 Green Platform Project 1.00pm 1.30pm 0.30 Lunch 1.30pm 2.30pm 1.00 Site Visit – Coal Loader Green Platform

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[Click here for the Google map]

There is limited on-street parking available.

Public Transport:

• Central Station Platform 16 – catch the 8.45am or the 8.48am train to Waverton Station and walk approx. 10-15 mins to the Coal Loader at Balls Head Drive.

• Town Hall Station Platform 3 – catch the 8.48am or 8.51am train to Waverton Station and walk.

• Wynyard Station, Platform 4 – catch the 8.54am train to Waverton Station and walk.

 For those on the Northern Beaches – catch the L90 or the L85 Bus to Wynyard Station to meet the train to Waverton.

• North Sydney Station, Platform 4 – catch the 9.01am train to Waverton Station and walk.

• Chatswood Station Platform 2 – catch the 8.52am train to Waverton Station and walk.

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1. Administrative Matters

1.1 Opening

1.2 Attendance and Apologies

Attendance and apologies received have been noted for this meeting.

1.3 Confirmation of Minutes

Minutes of the Technical Committee meeting held on 16 February 2017 were distributed in electronic form.

1.4 Business Arising

Key resolutions and actions from the last TC meeting have been updated to include outcomes, details of which appear in the Summary of Resolutions, Actions and Outcomes Table on page 4.

1.5 Next Meeting

The following dates are proposed for the next Technical Committee Meetings.

Technical Committee Date Proposed Location 20 July 2017 Northern Beaches Council

28 September 2017 TBD

Representatives are requested to please put these dates in their diaries.

Recommendations: (a) The next TC meeting to be held on 20 July 2017, the host council nominated is Northern Beaches Council, to be confirmed at the meeting. (b) The Minutes of the TC Meeting held on 16 February 2017 be accepted. (c) Representatives suggest agenda items, including presentations and site visits, for the next Technical Committee meeting at least four weeks prior to the next meeting. (d) Representatives remind relevant council staff of future meeting dates and share details of the agenda and minutes. (e) The Technical committee delegates support SCCG obtaining further advice on Council signage. (f) All Technical Committee delegates complete the spearfishing survey and provide ideas on further action. (g) All Technical Committee delegates provide policies/plans including plastics to the SCCG. (h) The Technical Committee delegates ensure relevant Council staff are aware of the Cost Data – Hazards Spreadsheet so that it can be utilised by councils for the next storm event.

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Summary of Resolutions, Actions and Outcomes Technical Committee Meeting: 16 February 2017

*The outcomes of action items are marked in the status column.

Due Lead Status Actions date Administrative Matters a) Thank you letters to be sent to the Host Council and the World SEC 6 March Letters sent by Secretariat Harbour Project Presenters. b) BE (Randwick) to send complaints regarding groyne works on BE 27 Feb Completed Foreshore Beach to SCCG (GW) to follow up. c) Re: previous action - sand movement on beaches by Councils. GW 31 Completed No future action to be taken. However, as it relates to the March Coastal Management SEPP/Manual – what are the requirements for DA’s re: beach maintenance. GW to discuss with Bruce Thom. Next meetings a) The next TC meeting to be held on 4 May 2017. North Sydney SEC / 3 April Completed Council nominated to host the meeting. Venue to be booked, site NC visit to be organised. b) Water Sensitive Urban Design tool – a presentation of this tool JS 4 May Confirmed for the TC Meeting will be shown at the next TC meeting on 4 May. 4 May Council Roundtable a) SCCG to review previous advice from insurance company, and SEC 3 April Advice not found. Determine undertake follow up research regarding signage at at TC to obtain new advice. beaches/rockpools/natural areas and council responsibility / liability. b) Potential actions (to be updated at next meeting) i) Talk to the SEC Spearfishing included in the Spearfishing Association re: safety education and encouraging MEMA submission. Survey spear fishers to use appropriate locations; ii) set up a reference sent to TC. group; iii) Undertake a survey of councils to determine pools/rock Other actions to be platforms etc within 20m of the end of the beach; iv) Lobby DPI completed Fisheries to change the regulation re: 20m where there are pools, safety issues. c) TC delegate support received at the meeting to put a recommendation to the Full Group (18 March) re: Council SEC 2 March Completed. Letter sent to the support on advocating for a ban or levy on plastic bags for Premier and Ministers marine protection. d) TC delegates to provide SCCG with their relevant policies/plans that include plastics (bags/bottles etc). All 31 April Councils to provide e) SMc (Waverley) to send SCCG information on the urban heat mapping. SMc 17 Licence signed by SCCG March SCCG to discuss WSUD guidelines/Policy and WSUD in f) To be completed after DCP/LEP with Department of Planning and Environment. SEC 30 June Sydney Water have endorsed the Action Plan Update on SCCG Activities and Projects Submissions a) That the Technical Committee delegates nominate appropriate All 23 Feb Completed staff within their Council to participate in the District Plans working group. b) That the Technical Committee delegates provide SCCG (BA) All 21 Feb No information provided. with local examples of where threats/stressors are occurring or being managed well, and any scientific reports/evidence delegates hold or are aware of by 21st February.

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Research – Cost spreadsheet That the Technical Committee delegates complete, or pass onto All 31 Only one received relevant staff to complete the cost data spreadsheet for the April March 2015/June 2016 storms. General Business SCCG will write to Councils regarding the Resourcing Plan. SEC ASAP Completed

Presentation That the SCCG Member Councils promote the World Harbour All ASAP Completed by some councils Project survey to their community/stakeholders via their website and/or other communication channels as deemed appropriate.

2. Member Councils Roundtable

PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES REPORT

Bayside Council • Council has been awarded a $75,000 grant under the OEH Coastal Management Program to restore a 550m long section of dunes along Lady Robinsons Beach between Bestic Street, Kyeemagh and Bruce Street, Brighton Le-Sands. The Project is due to commence in July with the bulk of the work completed by December 2017. There will be a plant maintenance plan for a further 6 months which will take the completion date to June 2018. • Council is currently investigating further dune restoration works at Cook Park opposite Solander Street Monterey and Cook Park Riverside Drive Sans Souci and if funding can be sourced these sites will be also be restored in 2017. • Investigating aquatic weed harvesting at Bicentennial Ponds. • Council has been awarded a $89,000 grant under the OEH Coastal Management Program to undertake wetland regeneration works at Scarborough Ponds, Hawthorne St Natural Area and Badoberong Creek. • Working with SSROC to develop combined bush regeneration tender.

• The revised Coastal Zone Management Plan for Collaroy-Narrabeen and Fishermans Beach has been certified, and the Coastal Zone Management Plan for Bilgola and Basin Beach has been submitted for certification. Staff continue to work proactively with residents who are proposing development applications for coastal protective works. • Northern Beaches Council provided feedback on the draft TARA tool to the Marine Estate Management Authority. • Creek bank stabilisation works at Oxford Falls Road West are progressing well despite high rainfall and are due for completion in May 2017. Bank stabilisation works on South Creek in Cromer, were commenced in January 2017 and completed in March 2017. • The lagoon health Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting project is continuing and will provide report cards showing the ecological heath of these waterways. • The Narrabeen Lagoon and Beach Restoration Project was completed in April. This was a grant project funded by the State Government (LLS). The project involved weed eradication and revegetation of selected dune and lagoon sites in Narrabeen and over 3,000 native species sourced from Council’s Community Nursery were planted. • Council has received hundreds of submissions for the Ingleside Land Release and these are currently being reviewed by the Department Planning and Environment. • The popular Manly Environment Centre Eco Awards were a great success in partnership with Manly Sea Life Sanctuary and the International College of Management, Sydney. Belinda Elsworthy was announced as this year’s ‘Unsung Hero’ at these prestigious local

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awards. Belinda was recognised for her incredible work setting up Plastic Free Manly - a grassroots organisation that works with the retail community to rid Manly of single-use plastic free bags. • Council supported the 10th anniversary of Earth Hour with a series of events including Solar Workshops for both local businesses and the community; a lantern workshop; night walks at Stony Range and the Warriewood wetlands; as well as fire twirling and African drumming at Manly Cove. • Commenced a project to increase the adoption or renewable energy with an aim to reduce carbon emissions of the community sector by 56000 tons / year. • The Northern Sydney Community Recycling Centre was officially opened by the Minister for Planning, and Lane Cove MP, Anthony Roberts on Wednesday 12 April 2017. The facility will accept household quantities of the following hazardous wastes – paints (water based and oil), used oils (motor and household), batteries (household and used lead acid batteries), fluoro globes and tubes, smoke detectors, x-rays and e-waste. • Coal Loader Platform progressing with works nearing completion. Following weather delays the project is now set to be completed in mid-June 2017. A tentative date of Sat Sept 2, 2017 has been set for the opening. • The North Sydney Art prize was held over 2 weeks in March at the Coal Loader. 88 works were situated in the buildings and grounds of the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability, including in the tunnels and associated chambers which have never before been open to the public. The prize attracted over 5000 visitors to the site. • Over 60 ACU students, 140 high school students and 120 vacation care kids have visited the site over the last 3 months. • Green school grants open to North Sydney school to support school based environmental projects up to the value of $3000. • Over 150 students from four schools attended facilitated Coal Loader school tours. • Students and teachers from 8 schools in North Sydney attended the first school environmental network meeting in 2017. • Ran 9 fully booked sustainability workshops that covered topics such as food waste, gardening, waste, general sustainability. Total no. attendees 250. • NSC Bushland Team will host a field day for school students and farmers from Boorowa (southwest NSW) at the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability in May. Together with Landcare NSW; Boorowa Community Landcare; Hill Tops Council and the Parliamentary Friends of Landcare, Boorowa school kids will be joined by members of State Parliament for a planting activity and tour of the Coal Loader/Balls Head bushland before they visit Parliament House. This event celebrates the 17-year urban/rural partnership between NSC and Boorowa Community Landcare/Boorowa Council (now Hill Tops Council). • NSC Bushland Team will host a community planting event on National Tree Day – 30th of July 2017. This year, the event will help build a wildlife corridor linking remnant bushland in Brightmore Reserve with Primrose Park and Wonga Road foreshore. • NSC are in the process of reviewing our Bushfire Prone Land Map as is statutorily required. Through detailed vegetation assessment Council will be seeking minor augmentation of the maps and a change in categorisation to better reflect the bushfire threat and reduce the extent of 10/50 exposure. • The NSC Bushland Team are trialling the use of iPads to replace paper-based Bushcare volunteer work-day reporting. Whilst reducing our reliance on paper-based forms, this format improves mapping accuracy and streamlines administration of the reports & the implementation of follow-up actions. If successful, the trial will be extended to include annual planning; hazard assessment/reporting; incident reporting and group evaluation. • The recent completion of 30 kilowatts of solar panels on the rooftop of Prince Henry Centre at Little Bay, takes Council’s own investment in this form of renewable energy to 200 kilowatts • More than 300 university students signed on to our litter pledge underway at local

beaches over summer during Council’s big stall at the opening of the university year at UNSW. • As part of a collaboration with Waverley and Woollahra Councils, twenty-nine local schools have signed on to have an in-school solar assessments, technical advice and documentation and specialist input into the sizing, costing and benefits to schools through the installation of solar panels on their rooftops. • Corporate volunteers have provided support for a local Bushcare group through the planting out native trees and grasses at the Randwick Environment Park. Page 6 of 13

• Carina Bay Reserve - Residents living in close proximity to the creek in Carina Bay Reserve, Como have been affected by odorous smells originating from the creek. Through investigation by Council's Environmental Science Unit, it has been determined that the odors are the result of ponded water with high levels of hydrogen sulfide caused by a buildup of sediment within a section of the creek. The proposed solution is to dredge a channel through the sedimentation in order to achieve regular flushing of the water upstream of the bank, which will prevent stagnation of the water and reduce extreme odour events. • Cronulla coastal walkway extension (Don Lucas Reserve) - This project will formalise the final link of the Esplanade Coastal walk by providing 400m of a 3.5m wide shared pathway that will provide safe off-road access to the northern end of Don Lucas Reserve and the start of the Wanda Dunes Heritage Track. The project will provide a link to the existing Cronulla coastal walk which provides pedestrians and cyclists an off-road link along Cronulla Esplanade. The path will allow for two cyclists or pedestrians to safely pass each other comfortably. The project includes landscaping and meeting points with bubblers, bike parking facilitates and seating. Council was successful in receiving $200,000 in grant funding for this project from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment under its Metropolitan Greenspace Program. • Five Ways Miranda - GPT and linear wetland design - The project will design a stormwater quality improvement device adjoining 226 Parraweena Road, Miranda as recommended in the Gwawley Bay Catchment Stormwater Management Plan. • Flying-fox Management - Following on from dispersing Kareela flying-fox camp in 2015, numbers have returned to this site and further camps in the have formed/reformed following the food shortage. There are now four camps and Council are considering a dispersal of Kareela and Camellia over winter 2017. Other actions being implemented are amenity impact reductions for schools and residents, it is hoped that these will be successful.

• Our formal new environment strategy has been adopted. The Environmental Strategy and Action Plan 2016-2021 was endorsed by Council in March 2017(External link). This is a key guiding document setting out our targets and actions for the next 5 years. • We are Upgrading our utilities usage tracking system (Water, Gas, Energy) for our assets (buildings and parks etc) – We are branding this as our SMART system. Envizi is the service provider. • Providing face-to-face training (by our own staff) for our staff in Development Assessments (BASIX, NABERS, GreenStar skills development) and City Projects (Environmental Controls for Construction Sites). City Projects deliver / manage almost all our new build projects. DE is providing this training. • Developing Sustainable Design Guide / Tool for our new build projects. Consultants plus our own IP embedded. • Formal bird and microbat surveys being completed in May with report as requirement under Urban Ecology Strategic Action Plan and flora survey across LGA. A good example of an adopted plan driving an ongoing strategic monitoring action. • Collaboration for Impact - working collaboratively with local community groups to tackle environmental issues collectively. • Plastic Free July – planning activities to ramp up awareness and engagement with businesses, community and within our organisation (combat litter, reduction at the source and protect marine environment)

• Completed two one-day Climate Ready Biodiversity workshops with CSIRO Adaptation scientists in conjunction with Centennial Parklands. Outcomes of this will be presented as a case study and distributed to groups.

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• Council adopted its first Biodiversity Strategy in 2015. We are now preparing detailed action plans for 5 bushland sites. • Planning is underway for the Rose Bay trial sand relocation project. RMS has agreed to provide 50% of the funding. • Application for the NSW Environmental Trust Council Roadside Reserve programme is underway. • Solar Smart Monitoring project is underway to manage Councils Solar PV systems. 5 sites have been installed with solar smart monitoring systems with a 24-month data package. • Council is launching a volunteer beach clean-up program (HarbourCare) in response to community concerns about beach litter and plastic pollution in our waterways. Tim Silverwood from Take 3 will launch HarbourCare with a film screening and discussion at Double Bay Library on 08 June. • Woollahra and Waverley have attended information sessions with Sydney Water regarding the Vaucluse sewerage outfalls. • Design plans and quotations are underway for the stormwater harvesting project at Christison Park

3. Update on SCCG Activities and Projects

3.1 Collaboration

3.1.1 SPLASH

SPLASH focuses on urban and regional city capacity building in NSW, facilitate knowledge sharing, education and training opportunities for individuals to strategically plan for future communities. The SPLASH program has been hosting various capacity building events for council staff and state agencies on water management and water sensitive urban design. The SPLASH Steering Committee met on the 6th and 20th April 2017 to participate in facilitated sessions with this input being utilised to collaboratively develop the SPLASH Business Plan and future funding model.

You can join SPLASH on Sydney Water Talk or on Linkedin (type SPLASH Network into the Groups tab).

3.1.2 Action Plan – Systems Management for Healthy waterways

The Action Plan has been finalised and was tabled at the Full Group meeting on 18 March for endorsement. The Full Group resolved to endorse the Action Plan and formally write to Sydney Water for their endorsement of the Action Plan. A letter was written and sent to Sydney Water on 19 April requesting their endorsement of the Action Plan.

3.1.3 Regional Flying Fox Approach

SCCG held a meeting with OEH (community engagement team) on 28 March 2017, to progress a regional approach to flying fox management. As a result of this meeting, a brief project scoping document was developed and next steps were determined as follows:

o OEH and SCCG to set up a ‘working group’ to participate in a workshop that will determine issues of concern and guide development of the regional approach to flying fox management. o SCCG to develop the terms of reference o OEH with SCCG input to develop a consultant’s brief/request for quotation for a GIS specialist to put together mapping on flying fox camps, habitat and landuse/zoning.

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3.1.4 Summerama Program

The Summerama Program was rolled out in January 2017. Eight of the eleven Member Councils participated in Summerama including; Inner West, Mosman, Northern Beaches, North Sydney, Randwick, Waverley, Willoughby and Woollahra Councils. Activities included walks, talks, rockpool rambles, snorkelling, kayaking, boat tours, wetland tours, arts and crafts, and coastal activity days.

The Summerama Outcomes Report has been prepared. An update will be provided at the meeting.

3.2 Capacity Building

3.2.1 Sydney’s Salty Communities

This grant project has been wound up, with reporting and financials completed. The only outstanding component of the project is the Climate Ready Tool Case Study, including two workshops held for Waverley Council utilising the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub as a case study site to apply the tool.

Recommendation: Waverley Council give a presentation on the outcomes of these workshops at the July TC meeting.

3.2.2 Emergency Management Project – Implementing and Embedding an Emergency Management Health Check for Local Government

The online Emergency Management Health Check Tool is open to all NSW Councils. A Guide to the Health Check Tool and various templates and resources can be accessed from the Resource Toolkit on the dedicated website www.emhealthcheck.com.au

Thus far, 31 NSW councils have requested access to the online Tool, including 4 member Councils; Northern Beaches, Willoughby, Woollahra and City of Sydney. We encourage all member councils to use the website and complete the Health Check Tool.

Recommendation: That the Technical Committee promote the Emergency Management Health Check Tool internally and encourage the relevant staff to complete the Health Check Tool by June 2017.

3.2.3 Connected Corridors for Biodiversity Project

A letter was sent to all member Councils on 14 March 2017, addressed to the General Manager (cc to the Technical committee delegate) introducing the Connected corridors for Biodiversity Project, and recommending that Councils:

1. Endorse the Connected Corridors for Biodiversity habitat corridor map; 2. Commit to using the habitat corridor map as a tool to assist in prioritising on-ground works and community engagement activities to improve habitat connectivity within the council area and, where relevant, across adjoining council boundaries; 3. Where appropriate, adopt the habitat corridors map into Council’s Biodiversity Strategy or similar, and/or include the habitat corridors map into a new/revision of the DCP/LEP.

The biodiversity habitat corridors map was included in the SCCG submission to the District Plans.

Recommendation: Technical Committee delegates report back to the SCCG on where the letter has gone within Council and what actions have been taken or will be taken.

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3.3 Advocacy

3.3.1 SCCG Submissions

Planning Legislation Updates

In 2016, the Department of Planning and environment commenced consultation regarding improvements to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. The Department released a Draft Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Bill 2017, and accompanying guidance documents on the legislative planning updates for public comment by 31 March 2017.

SCCG engaged Tom Fitzgerald to develop the submission on our behalf. The SCCG submission can be viewed here.

District Plans

SCCG engaged Tom Fitzgerald to develop the submission on our behalf. The submission focused on the three relevant plans for our region – North, Central and South, and the ‘Towards our Greater Sydney’ document. Input was provided by the SCCG working group, TC, Full Group delegates and SPLASH. SSROC, OEH, and LGNSW attended the working group meeting to provide feedback and input at the working group meeting to ensure consistency.

The SCCG submission can be viewed here.

Marine Estate Management Authority – Threat and Risk Assessment

MEMA released the draft state-wide Threat and Risk Assessment (TARA) Report for the NSW marine estate. The final report will inform the drafting of a new 10-year Marine Estate Management Strategy. SCCG put in a brief submission on general issues, with a view to providing a more comprehensive submission on the release of the Strategy.

The SCCG submission can be viewed here.

3.4 Research

3.4.1 Grants Applied For

Environmental Research Grants – Environment Trust

Lead/collaboration: • Valuing Green Infrastructure for Urban Ecosystem-based Adaptation • Mainstreaming Environmental Stewardship for Coastal Conservation

Supporting: • Use of green designs for enhancing urban seawalls • Identifying sediment animals which could drive healthy ecological processes (nutrient recycling) • Effects of antimicrobial agents on the environment by evaluating their impacts on host- microbiome associations (Triclosan on two species of oysters).

Environmental Education Grants

• Small grant to enhance the Summerama program, providing activities across the SCCG region, focusing on the CALD community. • Supporting Tangaroa Blue in developing a Waste Reduction Strategy for the SCCG Region, to reduce impacts of litter on the marine environment. Page 10 of 13

• SPLASH (with Central Tablelands LLS) submitted an EOI on community engagement around stormwater and raingardens.

3.4.2 Grant Discussion – Water quality monitoring

At the Grants Committee Meeting on 4th April, the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program was discussed as a potential grant program that SCCG could apply for to lead a regional project on behalf of member councils.

The program funds projects that apply innovative smart technologies which generate, store, communicate and process data to target urban challenges. Grant funds available are $100K to $5m max, however this is only 50% of the total project cost requiring matching funds for the remaining 50%. Submissions close 30 June 2017. Projects must be completed by 30 June 2019.

The intended outcomes of the program are to: • improve the liveability and sustainability of cities, suburbs and towns through the application of smart technology solutions to economic, social and environmental challenges • increase openly available public and private data sets to support citizen engagement, unlock innovation, and create new business opportunities • increase innovation and capability in local governments through collaboration and smart city innovation ecosystem development • contribute to development of smart city standards and improvement of regulation impacting the roll-out and use of smart technology.

It was suggested that this program may be a potential avenue for utilising technology to obtain water quality monitoring data in real time across the SCCG region, or to develop a leak detection and monitoring program.

A discussion with the technical committee delegates will be undertaken at the TC meeting.

4. General Business

4.1 SCCG Resourcing Plan

The Executive Committee made a determination on the resourcing options and put forward a recommendation to the Full Group on 18 March. An update on this item will be provided at the TC Meeting.

4.2 Upcoming Awards, Events and Grants (for information only)

Upcoming Grants

• The Smart Cities and Suburbs Program funds projects that apply innovative smart technologies which generate, store, communicate and process data to target urban challenges. Closes 30 June 2017.

• Rescuing Our Waterways Program – The NSW Department of Industry – Lands has announced a new 4-year investment package of $8 million to improve access to ports and harbours and work with councils to develop long-term dredging plans for local waterways. Councils are eligible to apply for funding which covers up to 50% of the total project cost. Submissions close Friday 23 June 2017. For more information contact [email protected] or click here.

Please see the SCCG Funding Guide for Grant Opportunities.

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Upcoming Events

• Coast Adapt – ‘is a comprehensive online hub of information and tools that decision-makers can use to plan coastal adaptation, learn from others, and find guidance on all aspects of coastal adaptation’. A free training workshop on the CoastAdapt tool will be hosted by NCCARF on Tuesday 9th May 2017, 9am - 12.30pm at the Portside Centre, 207 Kent Street Sydney. RSVP to [email protected]

• 2017 Australian Coastal Councils Conference: a sustainable Future for Coastal – this is an annual event where coastal councils, policy makers and researchers can share information on coastal planning and management from across Australia. The Conference will be held at Redcliffe, Queensland, 3-5 May 2017. For more information or to register click here.

• Environmental Health Australia – Annual State Conference: Environmental Health the Evolving Profession: The Conference will be held 11-14 September 2017 at Penrith Panthers. There will be presenters from a variety of disciplines exploring the challenges of environmental health as an evolving profession, and opportunities for increasing knowledge, networking and collaboration.

The Conference Committee is currently calling for abstracts to be received no later than 5th May. For more information go to www.ehansw.org.au

• Living Waterways Framework Workshop - The Framework is a tool to review project design for waterway related works and encourages designers to look for and include other livability, resilience and sustainability outcomes. It can also be used in the tendering process to measure value for money of a water related project.

Local and state government are encouraged to register a table of participants (minimum five no more than eight) from various multidisciplinary backgrounds e.g. engineers, planners, architects, maintenance officers as well as community representatives. The workshop will give an overview of the Living Waterways Framework and invites councils to use the framework to critique a water related project. With the assistance of workshop facilitators, your multidisciplinary team will use a structured framework to add significant value to your project design.

The final component of the workshop will be working through key elements of government grants and developing “shelf ready” projects to take advantage of grant funding as it may arise. The fee for the workshop is $2000 +GST (minimum 5- maximum 8 individuals). There will be four workshops held across NSW:

• Monday 21 August – Wollongong • Wednesday 23 August – Orange • Friday 25 August – Parramatta • Tuesday 5 September – Newcastle

For more information or to register contact Kristy Good on 0459366938 or at [email protected]

Upcoming Awards

• Local Government Excellence in the Environment Awards – the 2017 awards are now open. For more information click here. Submit your entry online. Entries close 5pm Wednesday 31 May 2017.

• The Local Government Awards, including the RH Dougherty Awards are now open. For more information click here. Submit your entry online. Entries close Monday 5 June 2017. The winners will be announced at the Local Government Week Awards Evening.

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• The Annual NSW Coastal Management Awards – recognise contributions towards sustainable management of the coastal zone. Awards will be presented at the Coastal Conference Dinner on 9th November. Award nominations open in May 2017. For more information click here.

Other

• Local Government Community Engagement Census

Councils from , Queensland, South Australia and Victoria are being asked to complete the Local Government Community Engagement Census prior to midnight Friday 5 May.

The census is the first part of a larger investigation into the practice and professionalisation of community engagement in Australian local governments and it is hoped that the findings will assist local councils to deliver more meaningful engagement opportunities. The research is being conducted by PhD candidate, Helen Christensen and is being supervised by Dr Bligh Grant at the Centre for Local Government, University of Technology Sydney.

More information about the research, including the link to the survey can be found at https://communityengagementresearch.com.au/

5. Presentations

Inner West Council, WSUD Decision-Making Tool

Jon Stiebel, Team Leader Environmental Strategy will provide a brief presentation and demonstration of the Inner West Council WSUD Decision-Making Tool.

David Banbury, North Sydney Council, Coal Loader Green Platform Project

David Banbury will provide a presentation on the Green Platform Project which encompasses works on the 160m long platform roof including a green roof, solar panels, and rainwater tanks in one of the tunnels on site.

6. Site Visit

Coal Loader Green Platform

(Approx. 1 hour)

This will involve a visit to the green platform site at the Coal Loader. The project has not yet been completed so you will be treated to a ‘sneek peek’ before the big unveiling.

Please wear sturdy, enclosed shoes.

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