Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Appendix Our P149 20 20 Annual Statutory Audited 19 20 achievements reporting financial Report P05 information statements P22 P52 Contents Section 1: Our achievements 05 Delivering on strategic directions 05 Tracking Council's performance 10 Section 2: Statutory reporting information 22 Section 3: Audited financial statements 52 Appendix: Performance indicators 149 Inner West Council Annual Report 2019-2020 i Inner West Council acknowledges the Gadigal and Wangal peoples of the Eora Nation, who are the traditional custodians of the lands in which the Inner West local government area is situated. Baludarri (Balmain) Gulgadya (Leichhardt) Djarrawunang Damun (Ashfield) (Stanmore) Midjuburi (Marrickville) LGA Wards Balmain Ward – Baludarri (Leather Jacket) Leichhardt Ward – Gulgadya (Grass Tree) Ashfield Ward – Djarrawunang (Magpie) Stanmore Ward – Damun (Port Jackson Fig) Marrickville Ward – Midjuburi (Lillypilly) Inner West Council Annual Report 2019-2020 ii Mayor's message COVID-19 has undoubtedly had an 2. Leading the nation • Allocated $250,000 to establish a unprecedented impact on the world, large-scale volunteer coordination and Council has not been immune from on environmental service in the Inner West, aimed at its effects in 2020. sustainability and mobilising the community to help renewables alleviate hunger and isolation However, we have remained committed • Sourced the equivalent of Council’s • Endorsed a $355,000 investment to to providing the local essential services entire daytime energy usage from support the Inner West’s creative that Inner West residents rely on, as well Moree Solar Farm and cultural sector through the as delivering some of the major projects impacts of COVID19 from the • Replaced 70 per cent of residential that were already underway before the Creative and Cultural Resilience street lighting with energy-efficient pandemic. Grants program LED lighting This demonstrates that we are building • Delivered a record $5 million a local government that is progressive, investment to plant 3,000-4,000 Inner West Mayor effective and gets things done. Together trees across the Inner West and Darcy Byrne we have been: established a dial-a-tree program to provide free trees for residents to plant 1. Building a healthier Inner West with record investments in pools, 3. Responding quickly parks, playgrounds and effectively to and sporting fields the COVID crisis • Rebuilt and opened the new Ashfield • Established the Inner West Aquatic Centre, a state-of-the-art Recovery Taskforce, which aquatics and fitness facility brought together local business leaders from a variety of sectors • Commenced an $8 million heritage and community organisations. restoration of Dawn Fraser Baths to The Taskforce continues to plan secure its future and coordinate the economic • Upgraded and expanded Steel Park recovery of the Inner West as well Waterplay Park as maximise the local effect and delivery of State and Federal relief and stimulus measures Inner West Council Annual Report 2019-2020 Section 1: Our achievements 5 Delivering on strategic directions Strategic direction 1: An ecologically sustainable Inner West Acting on Inner West War climate change on Waste 2019/20 There are 19 well-established community gardens in the Inner Inner West Council continues to lead Inner West Council has launched a West, including eight gardens and the way on climate action, adopting push to establish a food recycling a food forest located in Council a Climate and Renewables Strategy scheme for Metropolitan Sydney parks. Council has enabled local to assist the Inner West to respond as part of a collective effort made groups to establish and maintain to the climate emergency. by Sydney councils to turn more these community gardens through than 331,000 tons of food waste licences and other agreements and Council marked a new milestone generated in Metro Sydney each issued a Draft Community Gardens towards the target of using 100% year into a resource instead of a Policy and Guidelines that formalise renewable energy by commencing a liability. Council’s support for community contract to purchase power from the gardening on Council land and Moree Solar Farm. The agreement In July 2019, Council launched its set out a transparent application means that approximately 25% of all innovative new swap-and-go coffee process for the establishment of new Council’s energy usage is now solar cup scheme in partnership with community gardens. powered. Green Cafeen. Thirty-two cafes in the Inner West immediately signed Council’s LED streetlight replacement up for the scheme. program continues to replace 4,673 of old, energy-inefficient streetlights Supporting biodiversity with new LED lights reducing its and our tree canopy greenhouse gas footprint by 77% and saving 1,500 tonnes of carbon Council responded swiftly to the emissions annually. impact of the COVID 19 outbreak by launching the local stimulus Over 4,400 Inner West homes, program that incorporates $5 million businesses and schools are now for new tree plantings - an eight- powered by solar with 25 schools fold increase in funding for tree signed up to Solar my School planting, and the biggest investment scheme. in green infrastructure in the history of the Inner West. Inner West Council Annual Report 2019-2020 Section 1: Our achievements 6 Delivering on strategic directions Strategic direction 2: Unique, liveable, networked neighbourhoods Creating a sustainable To improve safety and amenity for and liveable city road users, Council continued to deliver traffic calming, intersection Council completed the installation reconstruction and safety works of shade sails in 13 Inner West projects across Inner West. playgrounds to provide children with sun safe and cool playgrounds. Caring for everyone Council’s 2020, $210,000 Park and Footpaths renewal program Council continues to maintain replaced and repaired footpaths in strong partnerships with a range of 14 of Council’s 270 parks, in addition homelessness services and state to the replacement of 500m2 of government agencies. Multi-agency footpath in Enmore Park and 900m2 outreach teams continued their in Yeo Park. patrol on the streets and parks of the Inner West, especially around In mid-2019, Council extended Ashfield and Newtown area. This verge mowing to all areas of the collaboration has permanently local government area, following housed 27 people over the period a decision to harmonise the level from January 2019 until June 2020, of service. Main streets are now including many long- term rough swept seven days a week across sleepers. the former three areas of Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville. In January 2020, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne convened a meeting Delivering connections of 15 Sydney metropolitan councils to residents to marshal resources and help fire- ravaged communities in rural and Council has demonstrated a regional NSW. strong commitment to our public infrastructure through major Inner West staff provided direct streetscape improvements and support to Bega and Eurobodalla resurfacing projects. Councils with tree management, strategic planning, development assessment, business development research and events. Child planting community orchard, thumbs up. Photo: Courtesy Inner West Council Inner West Council Annual Report 2019-2020 Section 1: Our achievements 7 Delivering on strategic directions Strategic direction 3: Creative communities and a strong economy EDGE – Celebrating our Shaping vision for the creative industries local economy funding to support the Inner West’s creative and cultural sector through Council continued to fund local Council finalised the Economic the impacts of COVID19. artists, creative spaces, and Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) businesses to present new work in that aligns with a range of other iconic places and creative precincts relevant Council policies and studies across five distinct areas at different such as the Employment and Retail times during the year through the Lands Strategy, Integrated Transport EDGE initiative. Strategy, and the Local Strategic Planning Statement. This plan is the Also, ground-breaking research Council’s road map to help guide from Western Sydney University was the growth of the local economy for commissioned by the Council to the next three years. develop a greater understanding of the nature and extent of the Supporting future needs of creative industries. innovative creativity This research confirms that the Council’s initiatives in promoting 66 Inner West projects received and nurturing creative and cultural more than $300,000 in funding, as industries will benefit the Inner West part of the 2019-20 Grant Program. both economically and socially. Some of the funded projects include Voices of Women ($3,000 for a Celebrating Aboriginal live performance with the theme, culture and heritage Dreams and Desires), Summer Hill Folk Festival ($7,500 to present Council’s Gadigal-Wangal a day-long festival of folk and Wayfinding art project is almost acoustic popular music), Minus18 complete, with the final commission Queer Formal ($7,500 for a youth currently underway. In 2016, Council dance in August 2019 in partnership received funding from the Stronger with Wear it Purple and Twenty10). Communities Programme to commission five art installations, In May 2020, Council announced Arts one for each ward of the Local Resilience grants to assist the local Government Area. creative economy. The program offered $300,000 in new grant Inner West Council