Annual Report 20192019/20/20 WWW.LGNSW.ORG.AU ABOUT US About us Local Government NSW is the peak body representing New South Wales local councils and associate members, including local government water utilities, joint organisations and registered organisations of councils. Our role is to support, promote, advocate for, and represent the local government sector so members are in the best possible position to serve their communities. This Annual Report sets out the advocacy, value and support we’ve delivered to our members during 2019/20. Photos courtesy of Woollahra Municipal Council, Richmond Valley Council, Randwick Council, Newcastle City Council, City of Canada Bay Council. CONTENTS LGNSW ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20 Contents President’s Message 02 Chief Executive’s Message 03 Highlights 2019/20 04 Disaster Recovery & Resilience 08 Advocacy 12 Industrial Representation & Legal Advice 16 Workforce & Careers Support 18 Facilitating Learning & Development, Networks & Connections 20 LGP Highlights 24 Corporate & Compliance Information 26 Financial Statements 36 01 WWW.LGNSW.ORG.AU PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE President’s Message After three years as President Almost $14 million of councils’ 2019/20 This year, LGNSW strengthened I am proud to present this report contribution of the Emergency governance, accountability Services Levy to be covered by the and transparency standards by detailing Local Government NSW State government. implementing best practice initiatives, (LGNSW) and Local Government Better building standards and planning such as the introduction of an Audit Procurement (LGP) achievements, policies, including the appointment of and Risk Committee and Industrial and the value provided to our the NSW Building Commissioner, with Advisory Committee with General members during 2019/20. powers to issue orders to stop work, Manager and Non-Executive Director rectify defects, and in serious cases, independent representation. LGNSW helped councils support prevent the issue of an occupation We put systems in place to assist the their communities and local certificate. Board to fulfil its obligations under economies during a challenging LGNSW Rules and the Fair Work year of drought, fires, floods and the LGNSW worked with the NSW (Registered Organisations Act), COVID-19 pandemic. Government to ensure local councils including a Board Charter and were able to navigate COVID-19 health We helped secure an unprecedented strengthened delegations to promote orders and the changing operating amount of Federal and State clarity and transparency on the roles, environment. We secured legislative government funding support for NSW responsibilities and authorities of the change that allowed councils to meet councils and their communities – more LGNSW Board and the Chief Executive. online, and removed the need for than $5.3 billion in disaster recovery and All sector representation on Boards and physical exhibition of documents, so resilience funding alone. significant committees continues to be councils were able to continue to support sourced through open, competitive and their communities and deliver essential Altogether, LGNSW advocacy transparent merit-based processes. helped deliver: local government services. Thank you to LGNSW Board and Our popular online forums helped a $395 million COVID-19 economic Committee members (past and present), Mayors and General Managers navigate stimulus package – the only one our Audit and Risk Committee Chair rapidly-changing issues and policy handed down by a State Government. Carol Holley, Acting Chief Executive Kylie developments during the pandemic. $130 million for council early childhood Yates and our dedicated LGNSW staff education and pre-school services LGNSW also paved the way for our for their resourcefulness, creativity, hard hit by emergency health orders. sector to retain as many employees as and dedication to local government $170 million for local government possible during this period thanks to the – and a warm welcome to our new infrastructure projects under Local Government (COVID-19) Splinter Chief Executive Scott Phillips. (Interim) Award 2020, and the new the NSW Government’s Drought I look forward to continuing our three-year Local Government (State) Stimulus Package. collective efforts to ensure councils Award 2020. Both were developed with Funding for public spaces projects, are well placed to drive a locally- record levels of sector engagement, including local roads, footpaths, led community and economic alongside the local government unions. cycleways and other community recovery in 2020/21. infrastructure under the $250 million We’ve provided 285 legal advices and Public Spaces Legacy Program. settled 140 industrial matters on behalf of members. $225 million in new and accelerated Member councils made good use of funding under the Fixing Local Linda Scott Roads program. our range of services throughout the President financial year, while benefiting from $12.95 million in NSW library funding, part of the largest single funding work of our subsidiaries and schemes. increase for public libraries since the LGP saved councils $75 million introduction of the Libraries Act in 1939. in negotiated price savings and For most councils, this funding increase procurement management efficiencies. alone will be greater than the LGNSW LGP also delivered value through membership fee. negotiated pricing, access to leading and local suppliers, and by reducing procurement risk. 02 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S MESSAGE LGNSW ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20 Chief Executive’s Message 2019/20 was a challenging Legislation to decimate council powers I thank you for your continued year – not only for members, was defeated as a result of LGNSW membership and your active and advocacy efforts. These amendments constructive involvement in delivering real but for businesses and would have allowed Ministers to decide and meaningful outcomes for the sector. organisations throughout the type of infrastructure built in local Please reach out to me anytime, Australia and beyond. government areas, place a cap on particularly if you require help and the maximum amount of income a support or you wish to contribute to our The financial pressure and council could earn, and dictate when efforts to affect lasting change. administrative disruption resulting and how councils collected and spent from a combination of drought, floods, infrastructure contributions, with no The challenges facing us all in the bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic sunset clause. financial year ahead are great, but they posed an unprecedented challenge are not insurmountable. By working Fairness was restored to council elections to councils, staff and communities together, our sector – in partnership when LGNSW advocacy delivered in 2019/20, and LGNSW was with the State and Federal governments the November 2019 enactment of certainly not immune. – holds the key to a locally-led recovery, parliamentary inquiry recommendations and a better, stronger NSW. I am pleased to present this report, which on electoral expenditure caps. summarises the many ways in which your peak body rose to the occasion, assisting These achievements were underpinned members to continue to uphold good by the new Intergovernmental Agreement business practices, fulfil their legislative signed by the Premier, Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister at last Scott Phillips responsibilities and obligations, Chief Executive keep staff in jobs and support their year’s annual conference, marking a local economies. new era of cooperation between the two tiers of government. LGNSW also successfully advocated on the range of issues that members told I commend LGNSW staff, under the us mattered most to their communities. leadership of Acting Chief Executive LGNSW advocacy delivered an Kylie Yates, for their ‘swap don’t unprecedented amount of Federal stop’ approach. By strengthening and State funding to councils and communication and engagement, communities, while advocacy work in LGNSW ensured members other key priority areas continued to continued to receive timely advice, deliver results. service and support. New and accelerated funding under This has enabled me to meet many the Fixing Local Roads program will of you in record time – faster than I see $225 million to go to councils. otherwise would. The Save Our Recycling campaign made According to our annual membership significant progress, as reflected in the survey, there is growing satisfaction with raft of State Government proposals the services provided by LGNSW – a to tackle the use of plastics, reduce terrific result. Most importantly, advice, waste and pollution, and increase support, and training were identified recycling in NSW. Meanwhile, the as areas in which we could deliver even Federal Government strengthened more member value. procurement guidelines. As a former General Manager and customer of LGNSW, I am delighted to have joined the organisation and witnessed first-hand the commitment of our Board and staff. 03 WWW.LGNSW.ORG.AU DELIVERING VALUE TO LGNSW MEMBERS Highlights 2019/20 Delivering Value to Members Federal and $3 $395 $170 State disaster billion million milllion recovery and Federal and Australia’s only for local government State funding to state-funded and community resilience funding rebuild NSW’s economic stimulus infrastructure as bushfire-impacted package specifically part of the NSW communities in the for local government Government’s $5.3 billion wake of 2019/20’s in response to response to including horrific