17 June 2020 Location, Online Google Meet
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Environment & Waterways Alliance Meeting Minutes + Actions Wednesday 17 June 2020 Location, Online Google Meet ATTENDING David Waddell – Orange City Council Michael Chambers – Parkes Shire Council Mick Callan – Neophema Environmental Lindsay Hall – Orange City Council Peta Rowlands – Neophema Environmental Jon Francis – Orange City Council Alice Blackwood – Bathurst Regional Council Melissa Ryan – Gilgandra Shire Council Cassie Liney – Mid-Western Regional Council Rowan Bentick – Lachlan Shire Council Cathy Black – Bogan Shire Council Deborah Taylor – Bathurst Regional Council Hiral Patel – Forbes Shire Council Joel Little – Bathurst Regional Council Kate Alberry – Cowra Shire Council Maryanne Stephens – Warren Shire Council APOLOGIES Andrew Francis – Parkes Shire Council Kevin Tighe – Warrumbungle Shire Council Brad Cam – Mid-Western Regional Council Matthew Butterworth – Mid-Western Regional Council Brian Vaughan – Coonamble Shire Council Roger Smith – Orange City Council Edmund Hogan – Central Tablelands Local Tracey Potts – Central Tablelands Local Land Services Land Services Melissa Kelly – Gilgandra Shire Council Grant Baker – Blayney Shire Council Robyn Teet – Forbes Shire Council Ken Stratton – Warrumbungle Shire Council Vivian Howard – Central Tablelands Local Land Jon Shillito – Lachlan Shire Council Services Glenn Wilcox – Warren Shire Council Belinda Barlow – Orana Joint Organisation of Councils Brian Parker – Blayney Shire Council Heather Nicholls – Cabonne Shire Council Marg Applebee – Central West Lachlan Landcare CHAIR David Waddell www.cwcewa.com.au AGENDA ITEM Welcome and Review of Previous Minutes David Waddell • Meeting was opened at 2:05pm. • Acknowledgement was made of the Traditional Owners of the Land, and their Elders past and present. • Introduction to the meeting and outline of the content. • WHS considerations for the meeting. • Noted that this was the first meeting of 2020. • Belinda Barlow acknowledged and thanked for her contributions as Deputy Chair. • As per Alliance Terms of Reference, the election of Deputy Chair is to be undertaken every 2 years. Previous election was October 2019, so the next vote will be for a 12-month term. ACTION • Election of Chair and Deputy chair to be held at the first meeting of 2021-22 FY. ACTION • Previous meeting minutes were accepted as accurate, and the actions from that meeting reviewed. AGENDA ITEM NSW Environmental Trust Grant Mick Callan • The Alliance was successful in receiving $100K from NSW Environment Trust for the Chainsaw Hollows project • Mick and Peta will review the project plan and contact all Councils in the coming weeks as we intend to get the project started in the coming Spring, depending on breeding seasons and contractor availability. ACTION • Noted that Orana JO was the organisation that submitted the application, and the JO is possibility collapsing. • Alliance was asked not to publicise receiving the grant until after 17 June. David to arrange Minister Kean to announce it on his next visit to the Alliance region. ACTION • It was noted that Lithgow Farmer’s Creek site was probably heavily impacted by bushfires yet there is no current access to check due to safety concerns. The Alliance will look to replace any previously installed hollows at this site with the grant project, rather than the installation of nest boxes which was previously proposed. AGENDA ITEM Website and Social Media Report Mick Callan • Mick Callan provided an update on the Alliance website and social media statistics, noting that performance was stable. • For the period May 10 to June 8 the Alliance website had 125 unique visitors for 129 separate site visits. The Home Page was the most visited page with an even spread of visits to other pages on the site. • For the period 10 May to June 6 the Alliance Facebook page has 646 likes and received 51 page views. The majority of the followers of the page are women representing 57% of followers. 26% of the page followers are in the age bracket 35 – 44. • Peta/Mick to follow up Councils for any good-news stories that could be promoted through the Alliance’s social media. ACTION www.cwcewa.com.au AGENDA ITEM Friends of the Alliance Mick Callan • There are now 10 Friends of the Alliance. If you have a suggestion for a new Friend, please advise Mick. • Filskis, a for-profit pest animal control organisation has approached the Alliance to become a FOA. Their application to be discussed at next meeting after it has been received. AGENDA ITEM Alliance Conference David Waddell • All attendees agreed to proceed with a conference in mid-2021. • Next meeting discuss conference planning: o Potential stallholders and sponsorship o Abstract submissions/invitations to submit o Guest speakers o Sponsored award for early career researcher AGENDA ITEM SoE Reporting Mick Callan • Inception meeting with Molino Stewart before June 30. Initial quote of $34,715 for 15 Councils. ACTION • Parkes, Forbes and Lithgow Councils do not participate in Alliance SoE reporting. • Remaining Councils were asked to vote if they did not want to go ahead with the current annual snapshot format. No votes were submitted. Unanimously agreed that the annual snapshots are needed, particularly for small councils. • Discuss incorporating SoE fees into Alliance membership fees for 2020-2021 at next meeting. ACTION AGENDA ITEM Climate Change Lindsay Hall/Mick Callan • Lindsay Hall presented Orange City Council’s emerging strategic policy regarding emissions and renewable energy resulting in 26 sites currently being considered for solar panels and 17 sites for replacement LED lighting. • Deborah Taylor (Bathurst) advised that State Government is looking to Councils to lead change on reducing community emissions but there were no incentives as yet. • Discussion around the development of a formal Climate Change Statement to deal with negative comments in social media. It was suggested that a Social Media Policy might be appropriate. Discussion continued around whether the Alliance was the “environmental arm” of the JO, and whether the JO would take a stance on this topic. To discuss further at next meeting. Sustainable Bathurst has a Social Media policy that may be appropriate. ACTION www.cwcewa.com.au AGENDA ITEM Finance and Budgets David Waddell • Membership invoices due to go out to Councils in July. ACTION • Alliance currently has $236K in available funds: o $95K was recovered from previous Narromine Shire Council where it has been held for several years. Special thanks to Belinda Barlow for assisting with this transfer. o $100K has been budgeted toward the Hollows grant project AGENDA ITEM Alliance 5 Year Plan Mick Callan • The 5 year plan is due for review. The current plan is not useful when submitting grant applications so it was agreed that now is a good time to revamp the format to be more relevant, containing achievable actions. • The current plan was developed when the Alliance sat under Local Land Services, and was largely developed to align with the goals and strategies of Local Land Services. • It was decided to discuss further and workshop the plan at the October meeting. Members will be asked feedback to help such as, “What is good about the Alliance?” and “What do you want to see from the Alliance?” ACTION AGENDA ITEM Alliance Funded Projects Mick Callan • Final reports needed from Councils for Alliance-funded projects. Mick and Peta to contact Councils in coming weeks. ACTION • Suggestion to create 1-page Case Study documents that from these projects. ACTION AGENDA ITEM Deputy Chair Nominations Mick Callan • In line with the Alliance’s Terms of Reference, nominations are now sought for the role of Deputy Chair with all members to be notified by email after this meeting. Nominations will close 2 weeks prior to the next meeting when members can vote by proxy as needed, with a vote to take place at the next meeting. ACTION • David Waddell noted that it may present a good opportunity for someone to take the role, with a view to becoming the Chair in the future. AGENDA ITEM Other business David Waddell • Skillset received an Environmental Trust grant to which the Alliance provided support. Reminder that if Council would like collaborate with Alliance (e.g. with resourcing (time, staff, money) for a grant project to speak to David/Mick. • David and Mick to present to Central NSW Joint Organisation of Councils at the next available opportunity. www.cwcewa.com.au • Attendees agreed that online meetings were beneficial to the group due to the distances between members. Proposed meeting structure going forward is face to face in April and October; online meetings every 8 weeks in between, and to allow online attendees at face to face meetings. o February - online o April – face to face o June – online o August – online o October – face to face o November/December – Christmas catch up Michael Scotland presented on Regional Water Strategies. His presentation is attached. He’s asked that the document not be distributed outside the Councils, as it’s confidential until strategy has been released. Please contact Michael directly with any questions for himself (Macquarie Catchment) or Steph Schultz (Lachlan Catchment) at [email protected]. NEXT MEETING Wednesday 19 August - online KEY ACTIONS/AGREEMENTS FROM THIS MEETING Key Action/Agreement Responsibility Priority Status Due by/Notes ACTION: Assess value of retaining the Mick Callan Medium Carried over – August 2020 remaining arborist equipment, with vote unsure of state for sale at the next meeting