Council Meeting

Wednesday, 2 December 2020 at 6:30pm

Cumberland City Council Chambers Merrylands Service Centre, 16 Memorial Avenue, Merrylands

Councillor Contact Details

Granville Ward Clr Steve Christou 0419 651 187 [email protected] (Mayor) Clr Joseph Rahme 0418 995 471 [email protected] Clr Ola Hamed 0405 070 007 [email protected] Greystanes Ward

Clr Eddy Sarkis 0418 306 918 [email protected] (Deputy Mayor) Clr Greg Cummings 0417 612 717 [email protected] Vacant - - Regents Ward Clr Ned Attie 0419 583 254 [email protected]

Clr George Campbell 0409 233 315 [email protected]

Clr Kun Huang 0418 911 774 [email protected]

South Granville Ward Clr Paul Garrard 0414 504 504 [email protected] Clr Tom Zreika 0400 805 303 [email protected] Clr Glenn Elmore 0418 459 527 [email protected] Wentworthville Ward Clr Michael Zaiter 0418 432 797 [email protected] Clr Suman Saha 0419 546 950 [email protected] Clr Lisa Lake 0418 669 681 [email protected]

For information on Council services and facilities please visit www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au

Page 2 Council Meeting 2 December 2020

LATE REPORTS Council Meeting – 2 December 2020

Mayoral Minutes MM12/20-44 Mayoral Minute - Recognition of Council's Director Environment and Planning ...... 5 MM12/20-45 Mayoral Minute - Congratulating Year 6 School Leavers and Promoting Active Kids ...... 7 MM12/20-46 Mayoral Minute - Withdrawing from Western of Councils (WSROC) ...... 9

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Council Meeting 2 December 2020

Item No: MM12/20-44

MAYORAL MINUTE - RECOGNITION OF COUNCIL'S DIRECTOR ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING Author: Mayor Steve Christou File Number: SC486

SUMMARY

As the first Director of Environment and Planning at Cumberland City Council, Daniel Cavallo has led the development and implementation of the first planning framework for Cumberland City, including Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement, the new Cumberland Local Environmental Plan and the new Cumberland Development Control Plan.

As Cumberland is a recently amalgamated Council located within a growing area in Western Sydney, there has been a plethora of work to get through the Environment and Planning Directorate. Daniel has provided outstanding leadership throughout this extremely busy period by ensuring that his various teams were mentored effectively, well supported, collaborated well with the community and within Council, and ensured that they have been focused on delivering the planning framework within prescribed timeframes identified by the NSW Government and Council. His laser focus in delivering the planning framework within Council and government requirements enabled this work to be completed to a high level of quality in less than two years.

The great achievements above occurred in parallel to Daniel’s usual duties as a Director, and a key member of the Executive Team at Council. During this time, Daniel also delivered a reduction in development assessment processing times, introduced new systems and processes, and continued the operation of Council’s planning activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daniel was nominated for the, NSW Planner of the Year at the annual Planning Institute of awards for his outstanding leadership in the development and implementation of Cumberland City Council’s first planning framework. At the virtual awards announcement on 26 November Daniel was recognised with a commendation.

Therefore, tonight Councillors, I am recommending the following:

RECOMMENDATION That Council congratulate the Director Environment and Planning, Daniel Cavallo on achieving a commendation for the Planner of the Year award at the annual Planning Institute Australia Awards.

Page 5 Council Meeting 2 December 2020 ATTACHMENTS

Nil

Page 6 Council Meeting 2 December 2020

Item No: MM12/20-45

MAYORAL MINUTE - CONGRATULATING YEAR 6 SCHOOL LEAVERS AND PROMOTING ACTIVE KIDS Author: Mayor Steve Christou File Number: SC486

SUMMARY

This year has been a very difficult year for everyone, but in particular for all kids at schools and their parents. The year has been on and off with remote learning in place, with many events and sporting competitions cancelled. It has generally been a very difficult year given the Coronavirus pandemic.

From speaking with a number of residents in the community, I understand that some kids have been unable to get their usual level of fitness activities in, given the challenges the pandemic has brought to us this year.

During my time as Mayor, I have been a strong supporter of getting our kids active and fit, with a number of key initiatives delivered such as the Active Kids program and Healthy Kids Initiative. Given this, at Cumberland City Council we want to do what we can to encourage the health and wellbeing of our local kids, who are the future of this Council.

What better way to deliver on this need, then by providing kids and their families access to our Council owned facilities to help keep them fit during the school holiday period coming up.

I believe it is crucially important that this Council continues to support the fitness and wellbeing of our local kids.

Therefore Councillors, tonight I am recommending the following:

RECOMMENDATION

That Council: 1. Write to each student finishing year 6, congratulating them on this achievement and wishing them well as they transition to high school; 2. Offer each child a twin pass to a swimming pool of their choice within the Cumberland City Council Local Government Area, or a 1 hour free access pass to the Granville centre synthetic court.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

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Council Meeting 2 December 2020

Item No: MM12/20-46

MAYORAL MINUTE - CUMBERLAND CITY COUNCIL WITHDRAWING FROM WESTERN SYDNEY REGION OF COUNCILS (WSROC) Author: Mayor Steve Christou File Number: SC486

SUMMARY

The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils, better known as WSROC represents a number of councils in the region. WSROC is an advocacy and resource sharing body on behalf of a number of Councils.

Active members currently include City, Blue Mountains City, City of , Hawkesbury City, Lithgow City, Liverpool City and Cumberland City Councils. Council has been a member of WSROC since 2017, with a current membership fee of $99,000 (inclusive of GST).

Whilst I acknowledge the very important role WSROC provides to some western Sydney councils, Council’s membership has provided minimal benefit to Cumberland. A number of the issues for which WSROC undertakes advocacy action are not high priority issues for the Cumberland City area. With COVID-19 impacting Council’s financial position, and Councils already well known budget position generally, the membership fee could also provide more benefit to the community.

Recently, the only initiative of note that Council has participated in with WSROC was the proposed power purchasing agreement with other member Councils. This project has recently stalled due to a number of factors, including legal and operational risks.

Separate to this, I have been holding a number of discussions with the Mayors both at Fairfield Council and Council. During these discussions it has become clear that whilst we are all different Councils, we all relate to each other very well in terms of key issues and priorities across our LGA’s. Given we are three of the largest Councils in the state, I believe there is merit in us further looking into joining forces to create a new advocacy body on behalf of the three Council areas we represent, in the heart of Western Sydney.

These three Councils combining our efforts would be a more palatable group both geographically, and in terms of relative issues and potential joint procurement and resource sharing efforts. I am convinced that this could lead to a powerful advocacy body of 3 super Council’s, who will share resources and be taken seriously, on behalf of our communities.

Given Cumberland Council has now been a member of WSROC for 4 years, and this membership has yielded little to no tangible financial or advocacy gains or efficiencies from the membership, and after much consideration and difficulty, this Council must ensure that it is doing the right thing by its ratepayers.

Page 9 Council Meeting 2 December 2020

Therefore Councillors, tonight I am recommending the following:

RECOMMENDATION

That Council:

1. Provide the required notice (6 months) to cease its membership from the Western Sydney Region of Councils (WSROC), in accordance with the provisions in the WSROC’s Constitution; and

2. Write to WSROC and formally advise them of Council’s decision to cease its membership.

ATTACHMENTS

Nil

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