Annual Report Statutory 2019/20 Returns Green, Global, Connected Annual Report 2019/20 Contents Message from the Lord Overseas visits 19 Mayor 3 Councillors’ expenses 21 Message from the CEO 5 Major contracts 23 Legal proceedings 31 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Work on private land 33 Islander Statement 8 Grants 34 About Sydney 9 External bodies exercising Defining Sydney 9 functions 110 The area 10 Partnerships 110 The economy 10 Other collaborative / City development 11 cooperative arrangements 111 The residents 11 Equal employment opportunity 119 General manager remuneration 121 About the City of Sydney 12 Senior staff remuneration 121 The City of Sydney – roles and responsibilities 12 Stormwater charge 122 The integrated planning and Coastal protection charge 124 reporting framework 13 Companion animals 124 The City’s 10 strategic Environmental upgrade directions 15 agreements 129 Voluntary planning agreements 130 Legislative requirements 16 Public access to government Annual reporting 16 information 145 Performance report 16 Recovery and threat abatement End-of-term 16 plans 159 Report preparation 16 Donations – public space Financial statements 16 improvements 159 Other information 16 Capital expenditure 159 Report publication 17 Corporate sponsorship 159 State of the environment 17 Public interest disclosures 161 Special variation expenditure 17 Swimming pool regulation 162 Rates and charges written off 17 Carers recognition 162 Councillor professional Inclusion (Disability) Action development 18 Plan 163 2 Annual Report 2019/20 Message from the Lord Mayor This year we have faced major challenges, from Council has now approved a Community one of the longest running droughts in memory Recovery Plan that supports how we’ll work in to major bushfires and the Covid-19 crisis. partnership with our communities, businesses, the NSW Government and other local I am proud of our effective planning and how governments. The plan supports economic and we have responded to support our residents, social recovery in our city over the next 18 businesses, creative and community sectors months. over this period. We will experience a significant financial impact When the financial year began, we entered a from the Covid-19 crisis, but our strong financial devastating summer of bushfires. Sydney New position gives us a base from which to Year's Eve 2019 provided the City of Sydney, withstand this once-in-a-generation shock. ABC News and Red Cross Australia the opportunity to raise $13.3 million for the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery work for the communities affected. These donations The City continues to show were on top of the $620,000 the City had strong leadership on climate already donated to bushfire and drought relief and wildlife rescue. change and in October 2019 And when the pandemic hit Sydney, we signed a 10-year agreement responded quickly by closing our community facilities, increasing our cleansing and waste for the supply of its electricity regimes, and creating a new grants program to needs, from July this year, support businesses, creatives and the broader community. using only wind and solar from We designed a $72.5 million support package Glen Innes, Wagga Wagga to help organisations and businesses adapt to a and Shoalhaven. rapidly evolving context and support their resilience so they are better positioned for recovery. The 100 per cent renewable electricity contract It’s one way we’re using our own resources to is projected to save the City up to half a million generate local employment and provide relief to dollars a year over the next 10 years. those most affected. In February 2020 Council endorsed the climate This included donating $1 million to OzHarvest emergency response plan to encourage climate to meet the food security needs of vulnerable action within individuals and businesses. We communities. OzHarvest works with other have joined the 85 other Australian councils charitable organisations such as Food Bank who have taken similar action, representing 7.4 and Youth Off the Streets. million people. Our response includes actions to reduce our organisational environmental footprint and assist our community to also take action. 3 Annual Report 2019/20 Homelessness remains a serious concern. The In the coming year, we will continue to be a City conducted its 23rd biannual homelessness strong voice for our community, planning and street count in February 2020. There were 334 advocating for better transport for our city. We people sleeping rough across the local continue to advocate for optimal outcomes for government area and 505 people occupying the community on redevelopment projects such crisis and temporary accommodation beds. The as Pyrmont and Waterloo, and major transport February 2020 result represents a 10 per cent infrastructure projects like Metro and decrease from the February 2019 count of 373 WestConnex. people sleeping rough. The Covid-19 pandemic During the year the City continued to consult led to an increased demand for the City’s with our residents, business community and homelessness services and in this challenging visitors to our city to develop our long-term plan time we worked with the Department of for Sydney to 2050. Building on our current Communities and Justice and Study NSW to strategic plan, Sustainable Sydney 2030, this find temporary accommodation for temporary has involved extensive research and broad visa holders, including international students, at consultation that is now being reassessed in risk of homelessness during the pandemic. light of the impacts of Covid-19 on our city. This In our work to support Sydney’s nightlife, work will continue through the next year and I Council unanimously approved the open and look forward to sharing it with you. creative planning reforms in June 2020. These I thank our dedicated City staff who have risen reforms will help diversify our night-time to the many serious challenges over the last 12 economy by enabling later trading shops and months as we continue to deliver the best we businesses, more small-scale cultural activities can, under the leadership of Monica Barone. and better sound management for nightlife and live music venues. This will also be important to the post-pandemic recovery. Green Square, Australia’s largest urban renewal project, continues to evolve. At its peak in 2030 it will be home to 70,000 residents and Lord Mayor 22,000 jobs. We have developed a Clover Moore comprehensive $1.3 billion infrastructure plan to provide local services and facilities – roads and footpaths, new parks and playgrounds, public art, community facilities and child care. We are focusing on high-quality design and creating a welcoming, exciting and connected precinct. Construction on the Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre is nearing completion and Drying Green Park is scheduled for completion in mid-2022. Our community facilities, parks and playgrounds remain a priority for the City. The new Darling Square Library opened in The Exchange building on 9 November 2019. It features an ideas lab, with a makerspace and unique program of hands-on workshops, and hosts events for creativity and learning. The library has a collection of over 30,000 items, including a large Asian literature collection. 4 Annual Report 2019/20 Message from the CEO Our community has witnessed major challenges Now more than ever, our people have become never experienced before and I am proud of the our most important asset, guided by our values way that our organisation has responded to to work, collaborate, interact with each other provide essential services. and make decisions. In partnership with the NSW Government and Our organisational values – collaboration, Local Government NSW, we established the courage, integrity, innovation, quality and Local Government Bushfire Recovery Support respect – continue to help us deliver on the Group. This group linked assistance from non- City’s purpose to lead, govern and serve. bushfire affected councils to communities in need, so resources could be sent to help recovery efforts statewide. In February, 15 staff We still have our focus on members and seven vehicles travelled to the southern highlands to help remove trees and becoming a more sustainable clear sites in affected areas. community. With the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic, the City acted with the health and wellbeing of our community and staff at the fore front of our The residential food scraps collection and actions. recycling trial has been running since July 2019, and the service is now available to more This included temporarily closing community than 7,300 households across 88 apartment facilities and cancelling events and activities in buildings and 320 houses. So far through the line with relevant health orders. trial, the City has diverted 200 tonnes of food While our physical libraries were closed, the scraps from landfill and avoided the equivalent City introduced online membership, allowing of 339 tonnes of CO2 emissions. residents of the City of Sydney to join and Projects to increase our vital tree canopy cover immediately access e-resources and online have continued. A total of 800 street trees were content. The home library service was planted, exceeding the annual target of 700 maintained. Over the year active library trees. Additional planting occurred as part of the memberships rose from 73,232 to 86,048. The Covid-19 stimulus package. increase in membership for the year follows the launch of the Darling Square library in Recycled water pipes are now installed for November. future use along the light rail route in George Street and Wynyard Walk. This infrastructure is We started a new City Concierge service to planned to be incorporated into a city centre assist small business with information relating recycling scheme operated by a private water to grants and other financial assistance utility. together with a community hotline to assist vulnerable community members through Covid-19. 5 Annual Report 2019/20 Four new solar panel systems with a total capacity of a 426-kilowatt peak were commissioned over the last year.