Planning & Development Committee AGENDA

Members Crs D Betteridge (Chairperson), G Docksey, A Glachan, P Gould, R Jackson, K Mack (Ex Officio), D Thurley and H van de Ven. Staff General Manager.

Members are advised that the next Planning & Development Committee Meeting will be held in the Council Chambers, AlburyCity Administration Building, 553 Kiewa Street on Monday 10 February 2014, at 6.00pm.

PDC 1 – CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATIONS RECEIVED BY THE CHAIR 1A Conflict of Interest Declarations 1B Declarations and Disclosures regarding Political Donations 1C Chairperson to advise that the meeting is being recorded for administrative purposes PDC 2 – APOLOGIES 2A Apologies of Committee Members PDC 3 – CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING ...... 2 3A Minutes of the Planning & Development Committee Meeting held on Monday 9 December 2013 at 6.00pm (DOC13/108900) ...... 2 PDC 4 – MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES ...... 6 PDC 5 – REPORTS/MINUTES OF COMMITTEES & WORKING PARTIES ...... 7 PDC 6 – OFFICERS REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION ...... 9 6A Planning Proposal Amendment to IN1 General Industrial Zone to allow Agricultural Produce Industries to be permitted with Consent (Consideration of Submissions)‟ (DOC14/4869) ...... 9 PDC 7 – OFFICERS REPORTS FOR NOTING...... 15 7A Tourism in Review - January to December 2013 (DOC14/7580) ...... 15 7B Albury Economic Indicators - December 2013 (DOC14/8385) ...... 25 PDC 8 – DELEGATES REPORTS FOR NOTING ...... 29 PDC 9 – NOTICE OF URGENT BUSINESS ...... 30

Note A light meal will be served at 5.15pm, at ‘Charlies on Kiewa’, for Councillors and staff required to attend the meeting.

General Manager Frank Zaknich

6 February 2014

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PDC 3 – CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

3A Minutes of the Planning & Development Committee Meeting held on Monday 9 December 2013 at 6.00pm (DOC13/108900)

Present Crs D Betteridge (Chairperson), G Docksey, P Gould, K Mack (Ex Officio), D Thurley and H van de Ven.

Apologies Cr A Glachan and R Jackson.

Staff General Manager, Director Community & Recreation, Director Corporate Services, Director Economic Development & Tourism, Director Engineering, Director Planning & Environment, Team Leader Parks & Recreation, Governance Team Leader, IT Officer and Governance Officer.

PDC 1 CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATIONS RECEIVED BY THE CHAIR AND DISCLOSURE OF POLITICAL DONATIONS

1A Conflict of Interest Declarations

There were no Conflict of Interest Declarations received by the Chair.

1B Disclosure of Political Donations

The General Manager advised those present, of the legislative requirement for Disclosure of Political Donations:

Advice to the Planning & Development Committee Meeting

The Environmental Planning Assessment Act 1979, Section 147(4) requires people submitting planning applications and/or submissions regarding a planning application to disclose any reportable political donation and/or gifts to any local Councillor or employee of Council. Reportable political donations and gifts include those of, or above, $1,000 in value.

The Disclosure Statement forms are available on Council’s website or from the Customer Service Centre and must be lodged in accordance with the Act. The forms are also available at the back of the Chamber during meetings.

There were no Disclosure of Political Donations received by the Chair.

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1C Recording of Meeting

The Chairperson advised those present that the meeting is being recorded for administrative purposes.

PDC 2 APOLOGIES

2A Apologies of Committee Members

Cr Mack Moved, Cr Docksey Seconded That the Committee receive, note and accept the apology of Committee Members, Crs Glachan and Jackson and grant leave of absence for the meeting. CARRIED

PDC 3 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

3A Minutes of the Planning & Development Committee Meeting held on Monday 11 November 2013 at 6.00pm

Cr Thurley Moved, Cr Gould Seconded That the Committee recommends to Council that the Minutes of the Planning & Development Committee Meeting held on Monday 11 November 2013, at 6.00pm, be adopted. CARRIED

PDC 4 MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES

There were no Matters Arising from Previous Minutes.

PDC 5 REPORTS/MINUTES OF COMMITTEES AND WORKING PARTIES

There were no Reports/Minutes of Committees and Working Parties.

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PDC 6 OFFICERS REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION

6A Albury Local Environmental Plan 2010 Planning Proposal Land Rezoning Highway, Thurgoona Consideration of Submissions (DOC13/106735)

Cr Mack Moved, Cr Docksey Seconded Recommendation

That the Committee recommends to Council that Council:

a. receive and note the submissions;

b. furnish a copy of this report and other relevant information to the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure, in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and advise the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure that Council has complied with Sections 56, 57 and 58 of the EP&A Act in relation to public involvement in the preparation of the Planning Proposal;

c. request that the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure undertake the appropriate actions to secure the making of the amendment to the Albury Local Environmental Plan 2010 to the extent that it relates to the land rezoning of part Lot 1 DP 128086, part Lots 1-2 DP 128087 and part Lot 96 DP 753356, Riverina Highway, Thurgoona. CARRIED

FOR AGAINST Cr D Betteridge Nil. Cr G Docksey Cr P Gould Cr K Mack Cr D Thurley Cr H van de Ven

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Disclosures of Political Donations There were no disclosures of political donations and/or gifts by an applicant, objector or Councillor at the time of determination of this Development Application.

6B Acquisition and Disposal of Land Policy (DOC13/106228)

Cr Gould Moved, Cr Thurley Seconded That the Committee recommends to Council that Council:

a. adopt the Acquisition and Disposal of Land Policy; and b. include the Acquisition and Disposal of Land Policy in the Public Policy Register. CARRIED

PDC 7 OFFICERS REPORTS FOR NOTING

7A State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) Amendment (Shooting Ranges) 2013 (DOC13/106715)

Cr Thurley Moved, Cr Gould Seconded The Committee recommends to Council that Council receive and note the report. CARRIED

PDC 8 DELEGATES REPORTS FOR NOTING

There were no Delegates Reports for Noting.

PDC 9 NOTICE OF URGENT BUSINESS

There was no Notice of Urgent Business.

Meeting closed at 6.06pm.

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PDC 4 – MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

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PDC 5 – REPORTS/MINUTES OF COMMITTEES & WORKING PARTIES

There were no Reports/Minutes of Committees & Working Parties.

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REPORTS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Disclosure of Political Donations

Section 375A of the Local Government Planning Legislation Amendment (Political Donations) Act 2008, requires that the General Manager keep a register containing each planning decision made at a Council or Committee meeting, including the names of Councillors who supported the decision and those that opposed the decision.

To maintain the register, the amendments require that a division be called whenever a planning decision is put at a Council or Committee meeting, including meetings closed to the public.

From 1 October 2008, anyone lodging a Development Application or anyone making a submission or commenting on a Development Application will need to publicly disclose donations and/or gifts greater than $1000 made to a local councillor, political party or employee of Council.

The disclosure requirements apply at the time the application is lodged with a Council or the NSW Government, and also apply to individuals or entities lodging submissions in objection or support of the proposal. All disclosures will be publicly available.

2. Requirements of Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979

In dealing with Development Applications, Councillors need to take into account specific matters contained in the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 (as amended).

Accordingly, the provisions of Section 79C of that Act are set out hereunder, which can be used by Councillors as a reference guide of issues to be considered.

79C Evaluation (1) Matters for consideration – general In determining a development application, a consent authority is to take into consideration such of the following matters as are of relevance to the development the subject of the development application: (a) the provisions of: (i) any environmental planning instrument, and (ii) any proposed instrument that is or has been the subject of public consultation under this Act and that has been notified to the consent authority (unless the Director-General has notified the consent authority that the making of the proposed instrument has been deferred indefinitely or has not been approved), and (iii) any development control plan, and (iiia) any planning agreement that has been entered into under section 93F, or any draft planning agreement that a developer has offered to enter into under section 93F, and (iv) the regulations (to the extent that they prescribe matters for the purposes of this paragraph), and (v) any coastal zone management plan… (b) the likely impacts of that development, including environmental impacts on both the natural and built environments, and social and economic impacts in the locality, (c) the suitability of the site for the development, (d) any submissions made in accordance with this Act or the regulations, (e) the public interest.

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PDC 6 – OFFICERS REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION

6A Planning Proposal Amendment to IN1 General Industrial Zone to allow Agricultural Produce Industries to be permitted with Consent (Consideration of Submissions)’ (DOC14/4869)

DATE 4 February 2014

CONFIDENTIAL YES NO  If yes please tick one of the following reasons Personnel Matters Commercial Legal Security Personal Hardship

MEETING DATE Monday 10 February 2014

FURTHER ENQUIRIES TO Matt Johnson PHONE 6023 8173 Planning & Environment

Introduction

At the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 25 November 2013, Council resolved to endorse a Planning Proposal that sought to amend Albury Local Environmental Plan 2010 (ALEP 2010) by permitting „agricultural produce industries‟ as permitted with consent in the IN1 General Industrial Zone. Upon endorsement, Council resolved to forward the Planning Proposal to the NSW Minister for Planning & Infrastructure requesting that a Gateway Determination be issued under Section 55 of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act), enabling the public exhibition of this document. Council also resolved that upon receipt of the Gateway Determination, the Planning Proposal and supporting documentation be placed on public exhibition.

On 4 December 2013 the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure (DoPI) issued a Gateway Determination to enable the public exhibition of the Planning Proposal. Consequently, the Planning Proposal and supporting documentation were publicly exhibited for 6 weeks (minimum period of 28 days extended due to Christmas) commencing 18 December 2013 and concluding 29 January 2014.

The purpose of this report is to inform Council that one (1) submission offering conditional support for the proposal was received during the public exhibition process and that no changes are proposed to the Planning Proposal content and subject matter. Accordingly, this report is forwarded for the further consideration of Council before being forwarded to the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure seeking gazettal of the proposed amendment.

Background

An outline of the proposed amendment as it relates to the IN1 Zone was previously reported to the Council meeting held on Monday 25 November 2013 (Attachment 1).

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This report outlined the reasons for the proposed change in land use permissibilities, which resulted from several recent enquiries regarding the possible establishment of agricultural produce industries. These land uses are currently prohibited under ALEP 2010 as they are contained under the definition of „rural industries‟, which AlburyCity previously sought to prohibit due to concerns regarding other rural industry types such as „livestock processing industries‟ and „stock and sale yards‟.

The proposed amendment is consistent with the objectives of the IN1 Zone and other permissible land uses. It is not anticipated that their inclusion will create significant amenity and environmental impacts, particularly with regard to noise, stormwater run-off and environmental health concerns, however these considerations will form the basis for the assessment of individual development applications.

Consultation

AlburyCity has made significant effort to publicise the exhibition of the Planning Proposal and supporting documentation in the interests of informing the community, generating awareness and encouraging feedback.

The publicity campaign has involved the following:

 notification letters were dispatched to land owners that were identified as having an interest in the Planning Proposal prior to exhibition commencement;  a public notice published in the Wednesday edition of the Border Mail on commencement of the public exhibition period;  static displays containing all exhibition material for viewing purposes in the foyer of the Council Administration Building and LibraryMuseum;  all exhibition material being made available on the AlburyCity website and the ability to make an electronic submission also being made available on the AlburyCity website; and  strategic planning staff available (on demand or by appointment) to assist with any inquiries relating to the Planning Proposal.

Issues

As the proposed amendment affected land designated as bushfire prone, the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure required as a condition of the Gateway Determination, that consultation be undertaken with the NSW Rural Fire Service prior to public exhibition.

Following consultation with this Authority, a response was received dated 12 December 2013 raising no objection to the proposed inclusion of agricultural produce industries within the IN1 General Industrial Zone as outlined in the subject Planning Proposal and the amendment was subsequently placed on public exhibition.

In response to the public exhibition, AlburyCity received one (1) submission offering conditional support from the South Albury Community Group in relation to the Planning Proposal.

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Issues raised, together with considered responses and recommended actions are outlined in the following discussion. A copy of the submission is provided for Council consideration and reference as Attachment 3 to this report.

SOUTH ALBURY COMMUNITY GROUP

Issue

Conditional Support for the Proposed Amendment

“The South Albury Community Group provides its conditional support to the proposed amendment to ALEP 2010 to allow agricultural produce industries within the IN1 General Industrial Zone where such developments do not:

 extend the B-Double routes in South Albury;  the „existing use rights‟ of residents and their living conditions in South Albury not be exacerbated by increased noise especially on weekends; and  development applications are subjected to a „whole of neighbourhood‟ assessment process”.

The concerns with regard to noise relate mostly to extended operating hours, that is; noise being generated outside of normal business hours of 8am-6pm.

Town Planning Response

The South Albury Community Group‟s conditional support for the proposed amendment is noted and the matters raised in their submission are addressed below:

Extension of Existing B-Double Routes

Concerns regarding the possible extension of existing B-Double routes are noted. The proposed amendment does not seek to extend or increase the area of land zoned for industrial purposes (including the extension of B-Double routes), but rather seeks to increase the number of land use types permitted within existing industrial zones. This is not considered sufficient nor necessary to encourage or require the extension of existing B-Double routes.

Amenity Impacts on Residential Properties

Issues regarding amenity impacts on residential properties created by agricultural produce industries are noted and will be assessed as part of any future separate development application process. Matters to be addressed in any future development proposal will include amenity and environmental impacts, particularly with regard to noise, traffic, stormwater run-off and environmental health concerns, as well as potential land use conflicts between existing industrial and residential-zoned land and these will form the basis for the assessment of individual development applications.

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Any proposal that has the potential to generate noise will be closely reviewed, especially where out of hours operations are proposed.

Whole of ‘Neighbourhood Assessment’ Process

Requests for a whole of neighbourhood assessment process are acknowledged and supported. Any future development proposal must take into account existing conditions of surrounding development, suitability and impacts on adjoining premises will be considered in any future application.

Any future development application will be notified in accordance with Chapter 3 and Appendix B of the Albury Development Control Plan 2010 to allow adjoining and affected landowners the opportunity to comment. Issues regarding the cumulative impacts of development will also be assessed as part of any development application and will address a number of matters of consideration as outlined above.

These issues and concerns will be dealt with and considered as part of any future development application where site specific issues can be identified and rectified.

Accordingly, it is recommended that no further action be taken in relation to the concerns raised.

Issue:

Re-Imaging of South Albury

Since mid-2012 the South Albury Community Group has worked closely with AlburyCity Council on projects to re-image and present South Albury‟s opportunities as an exciting area for development where there are expanding work opportunities from growing businesses that value the area‟s natural beauty and proximity to Albury‟s Central Business District.

The proposed amendment to ALEP 2010 is a positive step in this re-imaging of South Albury as a location for agricultural produce industries with one major caveat, that in order to protect the natural beauty values and quality of residential life, such developments are subjected to a „whole of neighbourhood‟ assessment process.

Town Planning Response

Issues regarding the re-imaging of South Albury are noted and are currently the subject of a separate South Albury Project between AlburyCity staff and the South Albury Community Group.

The South Albury Project has incorporated a review of the South Albury Strategy 2004 and other Council plans and strategies and has provided an opportunity to acknowledge the improvements and changes that have occurred in this suburb over time, but in particular over the past 10 years. With the adoption of ALEP 2010 and the incorporation of ideas and solutions to issues relating to South Albury in a variety of council plans and strategies since 2004, there has been significant progress in clearly articulating and mapping what the future of the suburb will be.

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Similarly, issues regarding the protection of residents‟ quality of life and the need for a whole of neighbourhood assessment process have been addressed and comments provided above.

Accordingly, it is recommended that no further action be taken in relation to this issue.

Conclusions

The proposal seeks to amend the land use permissibility‟s of the IN1 General Industrial Zone to allow agricultural produce industries to be permitted with consent.

The ramifications of not proceeding with this Planning Proposal could be extensive, as this may prevent the establishment of a number of new businesses in Albury.

Having received only one submission of conditional support in relation to the Planning Proposal, as a result of the public exhibition process, it is now considered appropriate to undertake the appropriate actions in order to amend the land use permissibility‟s of the IN1 General Industrial zone.

Options

Council has the following options in relation to this matter:

1. support and endorse the Planning Proposal as exhibited; or

2. withdraw the Planning Proposal and modify the proposal to identify/nominate sites outside of South Albury that could accommodate agricultural produce industries within Schedule 1 – Additional Permitted Uses of ALEP 2010; or

3. take no further action with regard to agricultural produce industries in industrial zones.

Based on the benefits of potential development opportunities on the local area and capacity to consider and address the concerns raised in any future development application, Option 1 is favoured.

Recommendation

That the Committee recommends to Council that Council: a. furnish a copy of this report and other relevant information to the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure, in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and advise the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure that Council has complied with Sections 56, 57 and 58 of the EP&A Act in relation to public involvement in the preparation of the Planning Proposal; and b. request that the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure undertake the appropriate actions to secure the making of the amendment to the Albury Local Environmental Plan 2010, to the extent that it relates to the land use permissibilities of the IN1 General Industrial Zone by allowing agricultural produce industries as permitted with consent.

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 Attachments

1. Council Meeting Report – 10A Planning Proposal: Amendment to IN1 General Industrial Zone to Allow Agricultural Produce Industries to be Permitted with Consent dated 25 November 2013. 2. Planning Proposal Inclusion of „Agricultural Produce Industries‟ as Permitted with Consent in the IN1 General Industrial Zone. 3. Copy of all correspondence/submissions received.

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PDC 7 – OFFICERS REPORTS FOR NOTING

7A Tourism in Review - January to December 2013 (DOC14/7580)

DATE 31 January 2014

CONFIDENTIAL YES NO  If yes please tick one of the following reasons Personnel Matters Commercial Legal Security Personal Hardship

ITEM FOR DECISION ITEM FOR NOTING  Meeting Date Meeting Date Monday 10 February 2014

FURTHER ENQUIRIES TO Sue Harper PHONE 6023 2862 Economic Development & Tourism

Background

Since 2010 AlburyCity has taken a leadership role in tourism and has continued to work with industry to increase tourism‟s contribution to the sustainable growth and development of the City. In order to ensure Councillors remain abreast of the key outcomes being achieved, staff provide an overview of tourism related activities undertaken by the Economic Development and Tourism team on an annual basis.

This report will focus on the activities for the period 1 January 2013 – 31 December 2013 and includes total visitation to visitALBURYWODONGA.com and the Albury Visitor Information Centre during the period. In addition, a summary of events hosted or facilitated by AlburyCity‟s Events team with be outlined, including the direct and indirect economic impact of those visitors on the visitor economy.

Issues

Over the past twelve months the team has:

 continued operation of our heritage listed Visitor Information Centre;  collaborated with the City of Wodonga to release and distribute the 2013 Albury Wodonga Tourism and Visitor Information Centre Partner Program;  distributed of a range of hard copy and online visitor information material;  developed the draft 2014 – 2017 Destination Management Plan for Albury;  undertaken data research on visitor satisfaction to Albury and the Albury Wodonga Tourism and Visitor Information Centre Partner Program;  facilitated and hosted of a number of major sporting and cultural events;  strengthened ties with key state and regional conference and events industry groups and stakeholders;

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 continued with ongoing marketing and promotional activities at a local, regional, state and national level; and  Continued to represent the City on, or as a member of, major business, events and tourism bodies: Murray Regional Tourism Board, Business Events Victoria, Accredited Visitor Information Centre, Australian Regional Tourism Network, Sydney Melbourne Touring, Victoria Tourism Industry Council and Murray Regional Tourism Managers Forum and Visitor Information Centre Forum Groups and Visitor Information Centre High Country Networking Group.

Key tourism activity highlights for the period 1 January – 31 December 2013 include:

 Production and distribution of the fourth Albury Wodonga Official Visitors Guide (OVG). The industry response was extremely positive with both councils working together on the one publication. Of the 90,000 guides printed, 20,000 guides were distributed by the City of Wodonga, 9,000 guides were initially distributed to accredited Visitor Information Centres (VIC) across Australia with a focus on regional centres throughout NSW and Victoria, the North East and Southern Riverina. 37,000 guides were delivered to all households in Albury, Wodonga, Thurgoona, Baranduda and Table Top, while the remaining guides were distributed to tourism partners and visitors to the Albury Visitor Information Centre. We currently have 7,000 remaining in stock to support our activities through to the end of the financial year.

 AlburyCity in collaboration with Destination NSW (DNSW) and Tourism Research Australia (TRA) conducted research on visitors to the city during January and February 2013. The research provided a visitor profile and insights into the satisfaction levels of visitors as part of the TRA Destination Visitor Survey (DVS) program to gain a better understanding of visitors to the region, including their motivation for visiting and satisfaction.

This study revealed that visitors to Albury most commonly shopped, ate out and saw the sights. The majority of visitors to Albury expected an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends; to relax and rejuvenate; to tour around and explore; and to explore the river or Lake Hume. The respondents were generally satisfied with their visit to Albury, particularly with food and beverage, roads, shopping and entertainment.

 Earlier in 2012 AlburyCity received Destination NSW funding, through Murray Regional Tourism Board, for the development of an Albury CBD Historic Building Walking Tour App. The project aimed to redevelop the existing „Albury Heritage Tour‟ trail and provide an interactive experience for visitors interested in visiting historical buildings and attractions in Albury‟s CBD. A number of bollards marking points along the tour route were installed and audio scripts and imagery finalised. A hard copy brochure was also produced to ensure visitors without access to a mobile device were catered for. The project was finalised and launched in March 2013 and take up has been steady month on month.

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 AlburyCity in conjunction with Albury Racing Club secured an additional three year sponsorship agreement with Destination NSW for the Commercial Club Albury Gold Cup Carnival, with a view to increasing visitation from intra and interstate. The total investment over the three year period is an amount of up to $195,000 equating up to $65,000 per year. AlburyCity‟s application for gazettal of a local half day public holiday for the 2014 Commercial Club Albury Gold Cup Carnival was also approved by the NSW Government.

 An online Business Event & Conference Guide was launched in February, complemented by hard copy motivational collateral in order to drive enquiries through www.visitALBURYWODONGA.com. Providing the guide in electronic format better suits industry needs and significantly reduces production and distribution costs. An online venue finder was also developed to ensure the process of finding a venue in Albury Wodonga is seamless.

 Destination NSW, with the support of AlburyCity, hosted “NSW First – Industry Development Workshop”, a new program to support the development of the NSW tourism industry. The program consisted of 16 one day workshops around the State, including Albury, and covered tourism product and business development, distribution channels, digital marketing and public relations. The content for each workshop was tailored to the needs and interests of the tourism industry in each location. 30 operators gained a step by step process of developing and/or improving their businesses strategic marketing plan. Participants learnt how their business is positioned relative to competitors, to identify and target new customers, the most effective marketing strategies for their target market, and how to ensure they are getting the best results for their marketing efforts.

 AlburyCity tourism staff facilitated and supported Channel Seven‟s “Sydney Weekender” program hosted by Mike Whitney. Stories covered included unique and quaint accommodation, fishing, fresh market and regional produce, as well as local dining. The Sydney Weekender – Albury feature aired Saturday 28 September. During late October the team hosted “Huey‟s Kitchen". Iain Hewitson and the crew filmed local attractions, spoke with local identities and visited the Farmers Market and Wood Fired Oven and the Bonegilla Migrant Experience. The series was televised around Australia during December 2013 with an additional segment aired during January 2014. There will also be substantial promotion on media platforms such as YouTube and other online TV websites. Albury‟s inclusion in both programs assists in building brand awareness and profile, with a view to increasing the number new visitors to the region.

 In addition public relations activity included hosting familiarisations for visiting journalists and travel agents for or on behalf of:

• The Herald Sun – Escapes Magazine and www.escapes.com.au • The Age – Good Weekender • The Weekly Times • Rex – OUTthere Magazine • Love Every Second – Your Guide to Summer in Sydney and NSW • Destinations for the Discerning Traveller Magazine

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• Nine New Zealand Travel agents to the city to highlight the city‟s tourism and cultural products and experiences over two days.

 Staff attended AIME (Asia Incentive and Marketing Expo) in Melbourne during February and the Associations Forum National Conference (AFNC) and Expo during July, to promote the city‟s conference and meetings venues. AIME is primarily for Professional Conference Organisers (PCO‟s) sourcing venues throughout Australia for conferences and business events, while AFNC focus is the Associations market which provided AlburyCity with a dedicated target market in leveraging prospective business events. Attendance and exhibitor numbers were down at AIME and accordingly so were leads; however, leads were solid at AFNC.

 The Tourism Team Leader and Albury Entertainment Centre Venue Manager, in conjunction with Murray Region Tourism Board (MRTB) and Mildura Business Events, hosted a dinner with 25 qualified business event buyers in Melbourne. Guest Chef Stefano di Pieri delighted guests with a five course dinner with matching wines. Mark Francis CEO of MRTB provided an overview of the regions venues, accommodation, attractions and infrastructure with a view to securing events to our region.

 Staff from the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) exhibited at the Canberra Times Home Leisure, Caravan, 4WD & Camping Show, promoting Albury Wodonga as a major holiday destination within a three hour drive of Canberra. The show is in its 30th year and attracted in excess of 20,000 people over three days. With the Official Visitor Guides in hand as core collateral and three 2-night prizes up for grabs, VIC staff had a busy weekend. In addition, as part of the Murray Region Tourism Board‟s (MRTB) marketing strategy, representatives from MRTB, Albury, Corowa, the Sun Country and Swan Hill attended the NSW Caravan, Camping, RV and Holiday Supershow. The show was held in Sydney during April and there was strong interest in the Murray region as a destination of choice.

 As part of our ongoing commitment to tourism in Albury Wodonga, AlburyCity‟s Tourism team in consultation with industry and key stakeholders developed the draft 2014 – 2017 Destination Management Plan (DMP) for Albury. It provides a clearly defined plan to continue to foster the development of the local tourism economy over the next four years. It defines our vision, mission and strategic directions which are supported by detailed actions and performance indicators to ensure the achievement of identified outcomes. Industry and key stakeholder consultation was undertaken during both its development and the public exhibition process. The DMP was adopted by Council at its meeting on 3 February 2014.

 Confirmation was received that the Albury Visitor Information Centre (VIC) successfully maintained its Level 1 visitor centre accreditation for the 2013 calendar year. In doing so, the Albury VIC is able to continue operating within the Accredited Visitor Information Centre Network and utilise the italicised „i‟ branding, easily identifiable by visitors to the region.

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 Regional partnerships remained a key focus during the year with the VIC Coordinator attending the bi-monthly High Country VIC Managers networking sessions, a source of information sharing to build product knowledge and improve VIC operations, while the Tourism Team Leader continued attending bi-monthly meetings of the MRTB Managers Forum. These sessions focus on leveraging regional Marketing and PR opportunities, advocacy and leadership, and industry and product development.

 The Tourism Team Leader was elected as an executive member of Sydney Melbourne Touring (SMT) Committee. SMT is AlburyCity‟s focus with regard to leveraging opportunities in the international market from a destination and partner product perspective. Membership to the SMT program from a local level increased by 80% during 2013. This was a great outcome.

 The Tourism and Visitor Information team conducted the biennial Tourism and Visitor Information Centre Partner satisfaction survey during November 2013. The survey was provided to all 129 individual partners (it should be noted that there are 134 partners in the 2013 program, however, one key contact covered several assets within Albury and Wodonga Councils) via Survey Monkey seeking input to improve the visitor services offered by AlburyCity. Survey questions were based around visitor information services, our communication with partners, the Tourism Partner Program, and the quarterly partner update and network sessions. The results will guide the future direction of the Tourism Partner Program and how we engage with industry and improve the services we provide. Of the 129 Partners surveyed, 48 (34%) responded. Responses were overwhelmingly positive. Partner Satisfaction Survey highlights include:

Visitor Information Services (VIC)

83% of businesses that responded to the survey questions were very satisfied or satisfied with the level of service provided (on request) to their business by the Albury VIC staff. The remaining 17% felt neutral to the level of service provided. Further, 66.7% of respondents were very satisfied or satisfied with the frequency of face to face contact with the Tourism Team Leader and VIC staff with a further 28.9% giving a neutral response.

Communication Services

An overwhelming 100% of respondents responded „Always‟, „Sometimes‟ or „If I have time‟ to: “Do you read the weekly „What‟s Happening‟?” with 51.2% of these respondents providing the newsletter to their clients. 90% or respondents liked the format of the document, which has been amended as a direct result of feedback from the 2011 survey. 82.2% of respondents read the Tourism Partner Monthly Update. 97.7% of respondents indicated they were happy with the format and layout of the Tourism Partner Monthly Update, up from 92.6% of the respondents from the 2011 survey.

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Tourism Partner Program

62.2% of respondents believe the Tourism Partner Program has been beneficial to their business with a further 35.6% indicating that participation has not noticeably benefited their business.

Quarterly Networking Session

Quarterly Partner Update and Networking Sessions were attended by 33.33% of survey respondents. The main reason provided for not attending these sessions was time due to work commitments.

 During the past twelve months, data was continually collected through direct communication with visitors to better understand their interests, reasons for travel, where they are staying and a number of other details. During this time the VIC experienced a 6.52% decline in total visitor enquiries (walk in, email, phone and industry), down from 24,033 in 2012 to 22,467 in 2013. It must be noted that several mobile VIC sites were set up at various events around the city to cater for visitor enquiries; data was not collected at these events. While visitALBURYWODONGA.com experienced a 17.4% decrease in unique visitation down from 62,425 in 2012 to 53,145 in 2013, it should be noted that visitALBURYWODONGA.com has increased it presence with mobile devices and with state and national tourism websites, providing additional exposure for Albury and our partners across various digital platforms.

 Statistics released by Tourism Research Australia and incorporated into the 2013 Albury Tourism Monitor, indicated overnight visitors to the city increased by 11.2%. Most impressive, Albury‟s International Visitor nights grew by 32.3% and Daytrip Visitors - friends and relatives, grew by 70.2% between 2011 and 2012. Anecdotally, this may be an indication of the community‟s awareness of the things to do and see in and around Albury Wodonga. Accordingly, Albury's position in the national tourism market place held during 2012.

 The AlburyCity Events Team has successfully delivered a comprehensive program which included a diverse range of conducted, facilitated and sponsored events. Highlights included the continuing success of the Music in the Gardens series which featured renowned guest artists performing in the Botanic Gardens on a monthly basis over Autumn and Spring. This event is now firmly entrenched on the annual calendar with grant funding attracted via the Murray Conservatorium. The QEII Twilight Market series also continued to attract large numbers of stall holders and patrons and Picnic in the Gardens, Pets Day Out, Applause Festival, Albury Eisteddfod, Border Stargaze, The Albury Show and Carols by Candlelight offered a range of community activities and entertainment options for residents and visitors.

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Sporting events again featured on the calendar and included the Albury Gold Cup Carnival, major finals action in Group 9 (semi final), Ovens & Murray Football (preliminary and grand finals) as well as top line regional and state events in athletics, international equestrian, basketball, horse racing, netball, water polo, swimming, tennis, pistol shooting (nationals), badminton, harness racing and model aero (national championships). Add to that the NSW AFL State Zone football carnival, now in its fourth year and producing around $500,000 in economic benefit and the WNBL match between Canberra Capitals and Sydney, which provides national and international exposure, and the sports portfolio had all the ingredients for another highly successful period.

Research collected during events conducted, facilitated or sponsored by AlburyCity has shown participation of an estimated 150,000 people of which 30% were visitors to the city either as day or overnight visitors with the overall impact on the visitor economy estimated to be in excess of $20 million.

The majority of upcoming activities during 2014 are expected to continue to produce significant visitation and tourism exposure.

 Advertising and PR included:

• REX‟s OUTthere magazine promoting, Tourism and Lake Hume, the Gold Cup Carnival and Cultural Tourism to Albury‟s Library Museum. • North East Tourist News promoting Summer Breaks in Albury Wodonga. • Micenet magazine (Meetings, Incentive and Conference Events) to coincide with attendance at AIME. Editorial also complimented the ad. • CIM (Australia‟s leading business events magazine) article on recent developments and events in Albury Wodonga. • Online Advertising with Racing NSW promoting the Commercial Club Albury Gold Cup. • Input and hot deals of partner product in development of the Albury Wodonga page of visitthemurray.com.au. • A five minute interview on 2GB‟s Sunday morning “Travel Show” highlighting Albury Wodonga‟s attractions, accommodation, and food and wine options. • Loaded 23 new partners listing to visitvictoria.com and updated five listings. • Events and product listings for DNSW‟s “Your Guide to Regional NSW” promotion. The guide aims to drive bookings July through to December. • Prime 7 Media – 2013 Albury Tourism Monitor coverage. • “Hospitality Magazine”, article promoting Hideout Cafe - “Regional restaurants boosted by influx from the City”. • Feature article in REX‟s OUTthere Magazine on rural towns that have a special connection to some of Australia‟s most iconic movies, including “The Sapphires” and Albury‟s connection in the film industry. • Presented hot deals for Albury Wodonga Tourism and Visitor Information Centre Partner packages in promoting the A-League Melbourne Heart vs Perth Glory Soccer match. These were uploaded to visitALBURYWONDONGA.com, Destination NSW, Tourism Victoria and via Melbourne Heart‟s data base.

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• Three articles published in “The Weekly Times” promoting the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Albury‟s CBD Historic Building Walking Tour app and Bonegilla Migrant Experience. A direct result of the media familiarisation held in August. • Article in the Herald Sun “Escape Magazine” featuring Bonegilla. A direct result of the Herald Sun familiarisation held in May. • Destinations for the Discerning Traveller – 35 page Murray Region feature, included 5 dedicated pages for Albury Wodonga. • Continued the Google Ad Words campaign for visitALBURYWODONGA.com • Continued tweets for @VisitAW. New followers increased by 78.19% during the year, taking our total followers to 907.

 Enquiries and Familiarisations

AlburyCity Economic Development and Tourism Team staff has:

• Conducted 72 familiarisations of partner and prospective partner product. • Welcomed 4 new businesses to the Tourism Partner Program, bringing the total number of Partners for the 2013/14 financial year to 134.

• Prepared and lodged expressions of interest has included but were not limited to:

o Rotary Conference during March 2015. o Vietnam Association Reunion. o Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA). o Australasian Society of Anaesthesia Paramedical Officers Conference. o Wagyu Conference during 2014. o Australian Conquest Users‟ Conference. o CWA conference for 1000 delegates during 2015. o Bendigo Bank conference during March 2014. o District Lions V6 conference during October 2015. o National Roads Conference during November 2014. o Local Government Association Conference in October 2015. o Australian Regional & Rural Health Conference during November 2014.

• Provided support facilitation, information and collateral to:

o The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) o Australasian Society of Anaesthesia Paramedical Officers Conference o Ordnance Field Park Vietnam Association Reunion. o Law Cover Conference. o Decision Intellect Conference. o Australian Regional Development Conference. o Millbank Marketing (Melbourne) - Audi product launch at Willowbank Events. o API Leisure and Lifestyle - 5 day sporting event for seniors.

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• Provided additional familiarisations for:

o NSW - Soccer Coaches Conference organisers. o Alchemy Media as part of the development of photography/image library for MRTB. o Melbourne Rebels and NSW Waratahs Rugby Union.

• Attended a two day Snowy Mountain familiarisation hosted by the Snowy Hydro. • Issued the 2014 Sydney Melbourne Touring Prospectus for Partner buy in. Uptake increased by 80% for 2014. • Made a total of $39,229 of direct bookings from the Albury VIC to partners‟ product during the 2013 calendar year.

Community Engagement

Tourism and Visitor Information Centre Partners and stakeholders are engaged on a continuous basis in the implementation of the Tourism and Destination Marketing Plan 2010 – 2013. This continued as we finalised the development of the 2014 – 2017 Destination Management Plan for Albury. Quarterly networking sessions, weekly and monthly industry updates and day to day communication occurs between the staff and industry. Feedback and suggestions are encouraged and welcomed which is evident through survey feedback and day to day communication.

Conclusion

Since 1 July 2010 AlburyCity has continued to proactively support the growth and development of the tourism industry. Significant effort has been made to effectively market and promote the Albury area, actively drive growth in the business, sports and recreation events market, and continue to provide high quality visitor information services.

The support of local and regional businesses is reflected in the growth of participation in the Tourism Partner Program, now exceeding 130 partners. This is an indication that AlburyCity continues in the right direction. Key findings from Tourism Research Australia as reported in the 2013 Albury Tourism Monitor indicated the number of overnight visitors to Albury has remained steady. However, visitor nights have increased 11.2%. Most impressive, Albury‟s International Visitor nights grew by 32.3% and daytrip visitors - friends and relatives, grew by 70.2% between 2011 and 2012. These results are particularly encouraging for the AlburyCity Tourism team as the objective to increase visitation, spend and length of stay is a key goal identified in the 2010-2013 Tourism & Destination Marketing Strategy and a key outcome sought by the community in Albury 2030. It is also a positive sign that Albury‟s reputation as a tourist destination continues to strengthen.

Research collected during recreational and sporting events conducted, facilitated or sponsored by AlburyCity has shown participation by an estimated 150,000 people of which 30% were visitors to the city either as day or overnight visitors. The estimated day and overnight visitation figures equated to an overall impact on the visitor economy of more than $20 million for the 12 month period.

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While several key projects are coming to fruition including; development of MRTB‟s digital platform, Lyndey Milan‟s Tastes of Australia (which commenced in 2012), and continued collaboration with the City of Wodonga in development of several key projects, that is; one tourism brand for Albury Wodonga, there is still much to achieve. However, feedback from industry and visitors alike has been extremely positive and we continue to work towards the achievement of objectives identified in the 2014 – 2017 Destination Management Plan for Albury.

Recommendation

That the Committee recommends to Council that Council receive and note this report.

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7B Albury Economic Indicators - December 2013 (DOC14/8385)

DATE 3 February 2014

CONFIDENTIAL YES NO  If yes please tick one of the following reasons Personnel Matters Commercial Legal Security Personal Hardship

ITEM FOR DECISION ITEM FOR NOTING  Meeting Date Meeting Date Monday 10 February 2014

FURTHER ENQUIRIES TO Tracey Squire and PHONE 6023 8276 Catherine Cunningham Economic Development & Tourism

Background

The Albury Economic Indicators (December 2013) provides a range of valuable economic, demographic and development statistics for a variety of users. Updated biannually, this report is an important source of timely and relevant statistical data.

The information contained in the Albury Economic Indicators is provided for the Albury Local Government Area (LGA) and the combined LGAs of Albury and Wodonga. Where appropriate, these datasets are benchmarked against other major regional LGAs in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.

The Albury Economic Indicators is compiled using a wide range of data sources, including:

 2011 Census of Population and Housing - Australian Bureau of Statistics.  REMPLAN Regional Economic Modelling software.  Forecast ID (population forecasting software).  Cosgraves Property Advisors.

Information is also sourced from a number of Federal and State Government departments, including the Commonwealth Department of Education, Department of Employment, NSW Department of Education and Training and the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

The December 2013 edition of the Albury Economic Indicators has recently been completed and will provide local businesses, business support services, potential investors, key stakeholders and Council with access to insightful statistical information.

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Issues

The latest edition of the Albury Economic Indicators is now finalised and ready for distribution. Key findings from this edition are:

Gross Regional Product (GRP)

 As at December 2013, the Albury and Wodonga LGAs had a combined Gross Regional Product (GRP) valued at approximately $5.04 billion.

 As at December 2013, the Albury LGA had a GRP valued at approximately $2.81 billion.

 The Albury Wodonga economy is dominated by the manufacturing, health, construction, public administration and safety, property and business services and retail sectors.

 The majority of sectors of the local economy experienced growth in the past twelve months.

Employment

 According to the ABS, nearly 50% of Albury Wodonga‟s employment is provided by the retail, manufacturing, health and community services, public administration and safety, education and training sectors.

 Nearly 30% of Albury Wodonga‟s workforce is made up of managers and professionals.

 As at September 2013, Albury Wodonga‟s unemployment rate was 6.3%, a 0.4% decline compared to September 2012.

Population

 As at June 2012, the combined LGAs of Albury and Wodonga had a population of 86,281. This represents an annual average increase of 1.0% since 2006.

 As at June 2012, the Albury LGA had a population of 49,655. This represents an annual average increase of 0.7% since 2006.

 Albury‟s population is expected to reach 68,570 by 2031, while Wodonga‟s population is expected to reach nearly 54,800 over the same period.

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Demographics

 Albury Wodonga has a large and well-educated workforce:

- In 2011 65.3% of Albury Wodonga‟s population were classified as being in the „workforce‟ age bracket that is aged between 15 and 65 years.

- The 2011 Census data shows that the population of Albury is becoming increasingly more educated at tertiary level. The most significant change in the level of qualifications achieved since the 2006 Census is the increase in the number of residents with vocational qualifications (+1,515) and a Bachelor or higher degree (+1,131). This trend should continue, with more than 3,400 residents studying at University or TAFE at the time of the Census.

 Of the 14 benchmarked regional LGAs, Townsville has the highest median weekly household income ($1,381), while Albury has the seventh highest median weekly household income ($1,025).

Construction Certificates

 In 2012-2013 the value of construction for the city was estimated at $130 million. While this represents a slightly lower level of investment in comparison with the previous three years, it is a positive result given the national and global economic conditions.

Distribution

A copy of the December 2013 edition of the Albury Economic Indicators has been provided for information (Attachment 1).

The Albury Economic Indicators will be available in electronic format from the „Business and Investment‟ section of AlburyCity‟s website. Limited hard copies of the document will also be produced. A copy of this report will be distributed to a number of key stakeholders and business organisations and recipients will be encouraged to subscribe to the Economic Development subscription service to ensure that they are notified about future releases of Council‟s statistical reports.

Once formally received by Council, the December 2013 edition of the Albury Economic Indicators will be available from the Council website by visiting www.alburycity.nsw.gov.au/business-and- investment/statistics-strategies-and-reports.

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Conclusion

The latest edition of the Albury Economic Indicators contains important statistical data for a range of uses, and provides Council, local business and other key stakeholder groups with access to insightful and accurate economic, demographic and development data.

Recommendation

That the Committee recommends to Council that Council receive and note this report.

 Attachment 1. Albury Economic Indicators (December 2013). Ref DOC14/8385

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PDC 8 – DELEGATES REPORTS FOR NOTING

There were no Delegates Reports for Noting.

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PDC 9 – NOTICE OF URGENT BUSINESS

Items raised at the meeting by Councillors.

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