Soccer action at St Ives Showground
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS APRIL - JUNE 2015
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
THEME 1 C O M M U N I T Y, P E O P L E A N D C U LT U R E A healthy, safe, and diverse community that respects our history and celebrates our differences in a vibrant culture of learning.
Active Ku-ring-gai The Council’s low-cost recreation and fitness programs saw a boost to numbers during this quarter. Registrations for the Active Ku-ring-gai term program increased to 267 registrations from 260 in 2014. This represented the highest number of registrations since 2006. There was also a significant increase is walking program participants –from 67 at the same time last year to 117. Good figures were also obtained by the 2014/15 holiday program, with 85 registrations in the Junior Golf program (an average 10 children per day) and 171 registrations in Active Kids (average of 17 per day).
Ku-ring-gai Arts Centre Tutor Vanessa Ashcroft’s March workshop Mixed Media With No Boundaries attracted good attendance numbers and excellent feedback from customers. Rachelle Juter’s solo jewellery exhibition Metalmorphosis which ran from 12 June to 26 June also attracted good visitor numbers and made $8000 in sales. This exhibition was complemented by a special event Artist Talk by Rachelle during gallery hours on Saturday 20 June, a first time event at the Centre. It drew in a number of visitors and resulted in more sales. New classes introduced such as ‘Sketch Club’ and ‘Colour, Up Close and Personal’ have proven successful, with high class numbers and a number of the bookings coming from new students. An external contractor has been engaged to review the Art Centre, its role into the future and the role of arts and culture in Ku-ring-gai and the role of Council in arts and culture in Ku-ringgai.
Centenary of ANZAC An Anzac Day event was held at the Wildflower Garden on Saturday 25 April. Ku-ring-gai residents were invited a free screening of the documentary Gallipoli: The Frontline Experience, as a special commemoration of the 100th anniversary of ANZAC Day. Following the screening, light refreshments were served as residents browsed a small 2
A snapshot of our achievements | April - June 2015
exhibition of photographs and memorabilia from World War 1 presented by the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society. Planning commenced for a community grants program offered to individuals and community groups for projects commemorating the 100th anniversary of ANZAC. Applications for grant funding opened in mid July.
Community events The major event for this quarter - Festival on the Green – was held on Sunday 3 May. Wet weather meant the Festival had to be relocated to the St Ives Shopping Village and St Ives Community Hall. Nonetheless thousands flocked to these new indoor venues to enjoy a packed day of children’s entertainment. Over 750 community performers also showcased their talent, with dancers, choir and bands entertaining the crowds. The highlight was ABC-TV’s Lah-Lah Big Band.
Residents with a disability The Ku-ring-gai Access and Disability Inclusion Plan was adopted by Council on 26 May 2015. The Plan provides a framework to address access and disability inclusion across Council’s services and operations. The Plan supports development of accessible town centres, shops, parks, playgrounds and sports facilities, housing, public transport and parking, information and employment opportunities. Over 20 young people with disabilities took part in the Ability sports program at Ku-ring-gai Aquatic and Fitness Centre. The program was run by the Council in partnership with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. The young participants learnt how to operate gym equipment and swim safely, building confidence and an interest in sports and fitness. Parents and carers were also offered respite time in the spa and therapy pool.
Other entertainment included roving performers, free facepainting, an animal farm and colouring-in competitions. The circus workshop was also popular with children learning how to hula hoop, stilt walk, spin plates and juggle. Ku-ring-gai contributed to this year’s Guringai Festival from 26 May to 12 July through guided walks at the Wildflower Garden, the Children’s Voices of Reconciliation event held with local schools and a display at St Ives Library commemorating the Guringai tribe who used to inhabit the local area. The Guringai Festival celebrates indigenous culture in northern Sydney and the name Kuringgai can be loosely translated as ‘belonging to the Aborigines’. Other community events in this quarter included the Lunar New Year Celebration, International Women’s Day, and Harmony Day, all held in partnership with a number of community organisations. Harmony Day 2015 was celebrated in April at the Secret Garden at Gordon library, in partnership with the Community Migrant Resource Centre and local community groups. Activities included various cultural performances, short films depicting Australia’s cultural diversity, multicultural food and Chinese arts and crafts presentations.
A dance event for young residents with a disability called Discobility was also held during this quarter.
Younger children Council-provided services for children including family day care, long day care, vacation care and immunisation have continued to be in high demand with several reaching full capacity. Family day care has recruited new educators and this has increased the number of child care places available to the community. Thomas Carlyle Children’s Centre has benefited from the installation of new lighting and solar panels. In addition the Centre has upgraded access and security to require pin codes and swipe card entry. The Centre has continued to refine its mobile phone app for children’s documentation, reporting and communication with parents. Currently there are 181 parents and grandparents using the app.
Three citizenship ceremonies were held during this quarter and the Council welcomed a total of 214 new Australian citizens. The Council continued to provide marketing support to the new community market at East Lindfield. The market is growing, extending from the community hall to the grassed area from August 2015.
Older residents During this quarter activities for seniors ranged from the popular falls prevention and basically backs classes through to the Seniors in Action program targeting social isolation. The month long Seniors Festival ran with the assistance of local community groups and organisations. Festival activities ranged from concerts, excursions and guided walks through to workshops on aspects of ageing, assistance with wills and planning for retirement. During this quarter the Council also worked with NSROC to continue implementing aspects of the Northern Sydney Ageing Strategy, including information distribution, social isolation, community transport and accessible bus stops.
Vacation care continues to operate at capacity and planning has commenced to include another 55 place centre in the southern part of Ku-ring-gai to meet demand.
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All services are currently upgrading their quality improvement plans to meet regulatory requirements. Policies and procedures for all services are being unified into one manual and this project is nearing completion. Council conducted a one day joint workshop with the Office of the Children’s Guardian which was offered to all service providers in Ku-ring-gai.
Older children& young adults A range of skill development workshops for young people were hosted at the AWOL youth centre Gordon and Turramurra Library during this quarter. Ku-ring-gai’s Got Talent 2015 was held in partnership with local community organisations and provided an opportunity to showcase the talents of local young people aged between 12 and 25 years old. There were 30 contestants performing live over two nights with a number of special guest performers.
Library services
As part of Youth Week celebrations in April, Shorefest attracted over 1000 young people. Shorefest provides a mix of entertainment and health education for younger residents.
This quarter saw the introduction of the ‘Winter Warmers’ program. This was a series of events in all Ku-ring-gai libraries including author talks, morning / afternoon teas, writing workshops, children’s activities and student help seminars.
The annual Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Youth Forum was held on 28 April with a total of 12 high schools, 198 students, 30 teachers and 40 community partners in attendance. Incorporated into the program was a three hour professional development session for teachers on the topic ‘Wisdom and the Teacher’.
This quarter also saw the Library continue to expand its outreach services with stronger electronic resources, more programs to schools and the pop-up library at the Ku-ring-gai Fitness & Aquatic Centre. Library staff are planning other pop up libraries in Ku-ring-gai later in the year.
During the April school holidays Ku-ring-gai’s youth services team offered activities such as skating, live music performances, BBQs, kayaking and day trips.
The Library participated in the Activate Lindfield consultation event and this was an opportunity to introduce members of the community to library services. In May Lindfield Library was updated with new shelving and chairs. Displays were organised to promote the Library & Information Week, Refugee Week, NAIDOC Week, Harmony Day, Anzac Day and the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign. Author talks included Lyn Fergusson, Tony Park, Dick Whitaker, Michael Robotham, Kate Forsyth, Isolde Martyn and Lisa Heidke. St Ives Library organised a morning tea to support the Cancer Council and raised $830 from library patrons who attended.
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A snapshot of our achievements | April - June 2015
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
THEME 2 N AT U R A L E N V I R O N M E N T Working together as a community to protect and enhance our natural environment and resources.
Storm event in April In April a severe east coast low pressure system resulted in a significant number of fallen trees and branches in Ku-ring-gai. The estimated cost to Council of the clean-up after the storm is more than $500,000. The cost of contractor labour alone was almost $400,000 and green waste disposal was $52,000. Part of this cost is being claimed back through the NSW Government’s Disaster Relief Fund with the application under review. Council received over 700 requests for assistance with fallen trees or branches. In addition, there was storm damage to public assets such as retaining walls, footpaths, roads and drainage. Large numbers of the Council’s operations staff worked extended hours and on occasions through the night to coordinate the clean-up with the SES and RFS, which was effectively completed by the beginning of June.
Disaster & bushfire management In April 2015 the Emergency Risk Management committee reviewed and rated all possible major emergencies for the Hornsby-Ku-ring-gai area. As a result, management plans will be developed for the higher rated emergencies. A new map of bushfire prone land in Ku-ring-gai was prepared and publicly exhibited between April and May 2015. A total of 3128 hectares of bush fire prone vegetation and 11,957 bush fire prone properties were identified in the Ku-ring-gai area. This equates to a reduction of 2681 properties compared with the previous map. Maintenance works for fire trails were completed for Grevillea Lawson Trail, Wallalong Canoon Link Trail, Bradfield Trail and Wallalong Comenarra Trail. Further works are programmed for Lister Daly Trail to be funded by the environmental levy. Three ecological burns were completed in March 2015 but some hazard reduction burns were delayed till late winter due to unfavourable weather conditions.
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A regional park at Gordon This round of consultation on a proposed regional park included an online survey which closed at the end of April and discussion forums held in May with local residents, sporting and community groups and users of Gordon Golf Course. Community consultation has now been completed. The report on the consultation and a proposed concept for the masterplan will be reported to Council in early September.
Flood & water management The Blackbutt Creek Flood Study adopted by Council in February 2015 will form the basis for the next phase of flood management in this area, the preparation of a Flood Risk Management Study and Plan for Blackbutt Creek. A grant application to Office of Environment & Heritage has been submitted to support this next phase of the work. The Lovers Jump Creek Flood Study is progressing to schedule. Works completed include community consultation, data collection and analysis, survey work and the development and calibration of the hydrological and hydraulic models. The Study is scheduled for completion by January 2016. The Ku-ring-gai Flood Risk Management Committee has also been established as a committee of Council, with two meetings held to date. The Committee comprises two Councillors, three community representatives and a number of agency and Council staff. The Committee is overseeing the development of the flood studies and is providing a key link to the community for future planning. Council continues to be involved in local and international water management research programs and partnerships including the Sydney Harbour Water Quality Improvement Program, the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Water Sensitive Cities, the Greater Sydney Local Land Services Local Government Advisory Group and the NSW Stormwater Industry Association (SIA). Council staff also attended stormwater and flooding forums organised by Sydney Water and the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). The Council’s Integrated Water Cycle Management Policy and Strategy continues to be implemented through installation of sediment basins and biofilter gardens, creek stabilisation works, weed removal, stormwater harvesting projects, community engagement through the Water Smart program and creek water quality and macroinvertebrate sampling. A new report card format for communicating the results of stream health monitoring to the community is being developed for later this year.
Waste services A household chemical collection was held over the weekend of 30 and 31 May at St Ives Showground, with 65.47 tonnes of material recovered for recycling. Participating Ku-ring-gai schools received a visit from Keep NSW Beautiful with their workshops on composting, worm farming and school gardening. During National Composting Week in May Ku-ring-gai residents were invited to Kimbriki Eco Garden for a composting and worm farming workshop. 6
A snapshot of our achievements | April - June 2015
Local residents were also invited to take part in a survey on the Council’s waste services. Survey respondents reported an 87% satisfaction rate with the overall provision of waste services The Council’s investigations officer undertook 57 investigations into illegal and dumped rubbish during this quarter with 19 clean up notices and six infringement notices served. Mapping of known hotspots is currently being undertaken in conjunction with other Council business units.
Sustainability initiatives The Loving Living Ku-ring-gai sustainability events program attracted a total of1570 residents up to June 2015. The Council’s sustainability advisor offered sustainability advice to residents every Thursday at Gordon Library foyer with a total of 66 residents taking advantage of this free service. A total of 390 new resident kits and materials were distributed to increase awareness of Council’s sustainability programs. Engagement on sustainability through various communication channels is strong and continues to grow. The number of subscribers for Council’s monthly sustainability e-news has grown to 2,160. The Envirotube YouTube channel has 471 subscribers and has now registered 208,000 total video views. The Loving Living Ku-ring-gai Facebook page has 2,151 followers.
Environmental education For the business community, the Council’s membership of the Better Business Partnership (BBP) continues to attract local businesses interested in reducing waste. Nine businesses joined the partnership this quarter with a total of 63 new Ku-ring-gai businesses joining to June 2015. The Better Business Partnership Awards were held in June with Ku-ringgai businesses featuring in 12 award categories. The Better Business of the Year Award went to Earth Kids childcare centre from North Turramurra. Council’s Wild Things urban biodiversity program currently has 531 members and the Bushcare, Streetcare and Parkcare programs 714 community volunteers, contributing over 12,000 volunteer hours per annum. The Council’s school education program at the Wildflower Garden attracted 1152 children over the past quarter. The Toddlers and Tadpoles program was attended by 120 children and the Seniors in The Garden program was attended by 68 seniors. The Bush Kids programs: Junior Rangers, Through a Magnifying Glass, Nature Craft for Budding Artist s, Five Dangerous Things, Out in The Dark, A Honey Eater’s Tea Party, Bush Skills and Aboriginal Culture, Dreamtime Stories and Art were well received with 256 children booked into these activities. Two night sky programs using our donated telescope were full at 24 people. Four night walks were all booked out with 76 participants. Bush birthday parties were attended by a total of 580 children.
Companion animals There were 486 registrations (300 dogs and 186 dogs) received for this quarter and the overall registration rate of companion animals in Ku-ring-gai remains at a high rate of 98.06%. The Council launched online registration for companion animals in April 2015 and is the second Council in NSW to provide this service. Over 50% of animals registered this quarter used the online registration service. Another successful Dogs Day Out event was held on Sunday 31 May with around 2500 residents and 500 dogs attending in spite of inclement weather. Several school excursions were conducted at Council throughout this quarter and the Companion Animal Management Officer attended as the guest speaker to provide education about dog safety and responsible dog ownership to 8 – 10 year old children. Dog attack notifications totalled 90 to June 2015 which is a decrease from the previous year’s total of107. Dog barking notifications also decreased to 266 from the previous year’s total of 284. However roaming dog notifications for the financial year totalled 137 which is an increase from the previous year of 123. Ku-ring-gai was successful in gaining two Office of Local Government’s Responsible Pet Ownership grants to further develop community education campaigns on responsible pet ownership. The first grant is a joint initiative with Pittwater and Warringah councils focusing on cats. A large community cat event was planned for Sunday 26 July 2015 at the Animal Welfare League Ingleside, along with a desexing project and several discussion forums. The second grant will focus on behavioural classes for dogs involved in dog attacks and a signage campaign relating to dogs.
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A SNAPSHOT OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
THEME 3 P L A C ES , S PA C ES & I N F R A S T R U C T U R E A range of well planned, clean and safe neighbourho ods and public spaces designed with a strong sense of identity and place.
Planning policy The Ku-ring-gai Local Environmental Plan 2015 – otherwise known as KLEP 2015 – came into effect on 2 April. The main characteristics of KLEP 2015 are consistent standards across Ku-ring-gai to better reflect land use and the state-wide planning approach being implemented across all NSW councils. KLEP 2015 will apply to all areas outside Ku-ring-gai’s local centres, except for fifteen ‘Deferred Areas’. These include 13 parcels of land that have a fire and evacuation risk, Killara Golf Club and land in the vicinity of The Briars heritage property at Wahroonga. The Ku-ring-gai Development Control Plan (DCP) came into effect in April 2015 following approval of the Ku-ring-gai LEP by the NSW Government. Council’s Riparian Policy has been incorporated into the DCP and ultimately incorporated into the Council’s Water Sensitive City Policy and Strategy. This provides the basis for more sustainable outcomes in subdivision developments and for development applications where streams, watercourses and riparian zones are present. An Affordable Housing issues paper is under development and will be reported to Council later this year. Master planning of the Lindfield site has included an investigation of a component of affordable housing.
North Turramurra Recreation Area Nine of the existing holes have been upgraded with new tees, forming the front nine of the new 18 hole golf course. The upgraded nine holes reopened to the public in April. Construction of new practice putting greens, chipping greens and practice tees is continuing, as well as earthworks and levelling in preparation for the construction of a new cricket pitch and three new multipurpose sportsfields. The current golf professional will continue to manage the transition to the new holes and has relocated to a temporary pro-shop near the new practice putting and chipping areas. Marketing plans are being developed to attract new golfers to this challenging and rewarding course layout. New course cards have been printed displaying new holes information. A video promoting the new course was in production and planning for a new web page was also undertaken during this quarter.
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A snapshot of our achievements | April - June 2015
New directional signage and flags are being prepared for installation on all holes. A series of family golf and corporate events are in the planning stages to launch the entire new course later in the year.
Ku-ring-gai Fitness & Aquatic Centre Group fitness class attendances remained steady during this quarter, with approximately 10 people per class. Activities on offer include body pump, body combat, power box, Pilates, yoga and exercise for seniors (PrYme life). There have been high attendance levels in the mid-morning PrYme classes and the evening Yoga and Pilates classes. Aqua classes such as aqua aerobics and PrYme aqua continue to remain popular with 15 - 20 people attending per class. The Centre currently has 1361 members enrolled in swimming lessons. Management have maintained the efficiency of the program by consolidating classes to ensure average occupancy of 87% for each class is achieved. The Royal Life Saving Society’s adults learn to swim program concluded at the end of June. Due to the success of the program, the Society has offered to subsidise an additional 50 positions for a new program to take place later this year. Library and Information Week was celebrated at the Centre in May with a pop-up library and staff discussing library services and offering trials of mobile devices loaded with ebooks, emagazines and music from Freegal. Children also enjoyed stories and making craft.
St Ives Showground A draft Plan of Management was adopted for the Showground by the Council in June. The plan aims to broaden the range of uses, bring all public land under Council control and make it easier to promote the area as a tourism destination. Public land includes the Showground, the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden, the Council plant nursery, HART driving school and the disused green waste tip. The plan was on public exhibition for comment between December and the end of February. In May the Council decided not to renew the lease currently held by the mini-wheels club due to the presence of
endangered vegetation in the area used by the club. The Council will now work with club organisers to help them find a new site before the expiry of the lease in March 2016. Planning was well advanced for a new event at the Showground on 31 July and 1 August – the Back to the 50s Festival. The event will include vintage market stalls, music, films, food trucks, fashion parades, dance workshops and a classic vehicle display all with a 1950s theme. Planning and production of a promotional video of the Showground and Wildflower Garden was underway during this quarter, as well as a new web page. An EOI is being prepared for recreation partners such as the High Ropes Course. Planning for a regional playground at the Showground is also continuing.
Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden This quarter has seen 1,155 school children attend the Garden in organised programs. The fauna licences are being extended to accommodate another turtle enclosure and a snake enclosure.
New & upgraded playgrounds Concept designs were finalised for an upgrade to the playground in Warrimoo Avenue adjoining the Mall shopping centre in St Ives Chase. New play equipment includes a climber and slide, a small swinging bridge, a spring ride and a jeep for children aged from 2 to 10 years old. The playground will also have new rubber soft fall, an additional seat and landscaping including shade trees. The existing swing set will be retained. Work on the playground upgrade will begin in August and will take several weeks to complete. The Council was successful in applying for $30,000 grant funding for the playground project through the NSW Department of Sport & Recreation and Community Building Partnerships Program. The playground at Echo Point Park at Middle Harbour was refurbished in June with existing playground equipment completely renovated by Council staff. The playground has a pirate ship and swings, electric BBQ, toilets and picnic shelter and is located off Babbage Road in Roseville.
The Visitors Centre continues to be very popular with 1,466 people visiting the centre in the last quarter. The development of a specific centre for education, the environment and sustainability to support the growth and diversity of programs is in the planning and design phase. A way finding sign program has been completed with installation of the signs to begin in August 2015. As part of this year’s annual Wildflower Art and Garden Festival in August a sculpture walk will be installed for up to two weeks at the Senses Track. Artists and sculptors were invited in April to apply to have a sculpture included, with the opportunity to win prizes worth up to $3000 for those judged to be the best pieces submitted. To date 14 entries have been received.
Extended park in St Ives In April the Council approved a design for the extension to Carcoola Road park, which was on public exhibition between December 2014 and February this year. The final design incorporated ideas and feedback from interested local residents. Features of the concept design include: • Planting with native plants, retaining existing trees • A small picnic shelter, table and seats and drinking fountain • Fencing to Carcoola Road and parkland boundaries • Embankment slides and simple play equipment such as swings, a see saw, spinners, and a playhouse. The name Lapwing Reserve, which was suggested by the residents, was endorsed by the Council for consideration by the NSW Geographical Names Board.
The Council provided funds and manpower during this reporting period to assist the Rotary Club of Roseville to complete a new playground at Malga Avenue Roseville. The land on which the new playground was built was formerly vacant road reserve. The Council provided $50,000 funding for the project and assistance with the construction.
Reclassification of Council land Several local centre sites have had their reclassification process completed and are awaiting state government approval. A final report on the proposed reclassifications was adopted by the Council in May 2015. The sites awaiting approval are Pymble Town Hall at 1186-1188 Pacific Highway Pymble; the current Council Chambers and car park at 818 Pacific Highway Gordon; 2-4 Moree Street Gordon; land attached to Memorial Park at 62 Pacific Highway Roseville ; 27 Garrick Road St Ives; Part 56-588 Koola Avenue East Killara; 97 Babbage Road Roseville Chase and 136A Junction Lane / Morris Avenue Wahroonga.
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Development applications & consents The processing time for all applications during this quarter was a median of 60 days. This is an increase compared with 54 days for the previous quarter but is still well below the performance target of 80 days. There was also a 17% decrease in undetermined applications compared with the previous quarter (293 vs. 251) which is attributable to a cyclical surge of development activity associated with the financial year end.
• North Shore Junior Cricket Association contributed $21,000 for 50% cost of new cricket wicket at Darnley Oval Gordon and 25% cost of new cricket wicket at Mimosa Oval Turramurra. • Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hills District Cricket Association contributed $7,000 for 25% cost of new cricket wicket at Mimosa Oval Turramurra.
A total of 156 applications were determined during this period, bringing the total determined for the financial year to June 2015 to 696 applications. This represents a 12% decrease in the number of DAs determined compared with the previous quarter.
• St Ives Football Club contributed $28,000 for 50% cost of upgrade to floodlights at Warrimoo Oval.
Heritage
A draft plan of management for the Canoon Road netball courts was placed on public exhibition in June for public comment until 7 August. The new plan was prepared to manage the increased use of the site and rising demand, as well as nearby residents’ concerns over parking and traffic.
The planning proposal to heritage list 5 properties in Turramurra, Wahroonga, Pymble and Killara was placed on public exhibition between 24 April and 22 May. The review of deferred items from KLEP 2015 has been completed and Draft Heritage Inventory forms finalised and reported to Council in April. The planning proposal to list 75 items has been submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment for approval. The study on the review of a proposed heritage conservation area in Middle Harbour Road, Lindfield was placed on public exhibition from 20 March until 15 May. A public exhibition of the Pymble East and West - Potential Heritage Conservation Areas review was conducted in June. Planning proposals to list 62-62 Mona Vale, Pymble (Lanosa) and 950 Pacific Highway, Pymble (Former 3M building) were finalised and approved by the state government on 2 April and 1 May respectively. Interim Heritage Orders have been made for 6 Caithness Street, Killara; 28 Cook Road, Killara and 140 Pentecost Avenue, Pymble. Details of a pilot heritage walk of Wahroonga were developed and presented to the Heritage Reference Committee.
Sports facilities This quarter opened the season for all winter clubs, associations and schools. Soccer fields continue to be in strong demand with the Northern Suburbs Football Association having registered 16,000 participants this season. A new winter rugby league club called the Ku-ring-gai Cubs fielded 3 teams (U/6, U/8, U/10) with their home ground at Barra Brui Oval. Charles Bean synthetic sportsground continues to be very popular due to wet weather and other grounds being closed. The upgrade of Koola Park (installation of floodlighting, renovation of the sportsfields, irrigation and sub-soil drainage installation) means it will be temporarily closed in July. Alternative arrangements have been made for users of this ground.
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Community support in providing improved sporting facilities has been crucial over the last six months, in particular:
A snapshot of our achievements | April - June 2015
• West Pymble Football Club contributed $11,000 for 50% cost of upgrade to floodlights at Norman Griffiths Oval West Pymble.
The plan recommends the installation of floodlights on up to nine of the 21 courts to allow netball organisers to move games from Saturdays to Friday evenings initially and Thursday evenings depending on future growth, alleviating traffic congestion on Saturdays. The lights would also allow tennis court hire during the week. Time restrictions would apply to the floodlights if installed.
Public assets Works were underway to refurbish the Turramurra Memorial Pavilion and Kent Oval amenities during this quarter. The Turramurra Pavilion has been given a new roof, gutters and down pipes, new storm water services and a footpath. The building has also been repainted internally and externally with heritage styling. The Kent Oval amenities building has been upgraded with new internal fixtures and fittings. The public toilets at West Pymble Mall were repainted and partitions and new tiling added to give this busy amenities a simple but effective makeover. The Council has worked successfully with the St Ives Shopping Centre to replace roof sheeting that had reached its end of life. As a result problems with the air conditioning and water leaks at the community library and childcare centre have been resolved. An independent consultant completed a review of the Council’s assets. This review identified areas for improvement, significantly reduced Council’s infrastructure backlog assessment, helped develop new funding strategies for asset renewals and maintenance programs, and the improved accuracy of asset management information. The financial improvement strategies developed for asset renewal and maintenance are detailed in Council’s Resourcing Strategy. On 23 June Council adopted the revised Resourcing Strategy, including the Long Term Financial Plan and Asset Management Strategy.
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
THEME 4 A C C ES S , T R A F F I C & T R A N S P O R T Access and connection to, from and within Ku-ring-gai provides safe, reliable and affordable public and private travel, transport and infrastructure. Cycling
Roads & footpaths
Planning was underway for the Turramurra 4 and Roseville 1 routes in the Ku-ring-gai Bike Plan. These routes are supported by funding assistance from Roads and Maritime Services (RMS). Planning is also underway for inclusion of part of the Lindfield 4 route in the Plan which travels along Kochia Lane between Lindfield Avenue and Milray Street.
Over 1540 metres of new footpath have been installed in Ku-ringgai and a further 290 metres were scheduled to be constructed to June 2015. Key areas include Yarrabung Road and Cowan Road in St Ives, Auluba Road in South Turramurra and Shaddock Avenue in West Pymble. Repairs and upgrades were carried out to 160 sections of roadway during this quarter at a cost of $7.4 million. Key roads include Valley and Tryon Roads in Lindfield, Nambucca Avenue and Canberra Crescent in Turramurra, Koola Avenue in Killara and Woodbury Road in St Ives.
The Turramurra 1 route is still subject to ongoing consultation with key stakeholders (including the RMS and cycling groups) to achieve an outcome that would be acceptable to cyclists, residents and other road users. While most issues were resolved with the Roseville 1 route, there are unresolved problems concerning access opposite Roseville Public School. As a result commencement of both projects was deferred to the next reporting period. Work continued to ensure inclusion of bicycle parking facilities in key council projects, including: Lindfield Village Green; Lindfield Community Hub, Turramurra Community Hub and Gordon Civic Hub.
Photo by WonYun Lee Ku-ring-gai Council
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Parking management
Turramurra local centre
Since its introduction, licence plate recognition technology has assisted in the regulation of car parks, realising a 21% increase in penalties issued for overstaying.
As part of the master planning process for Turramurra meetings were held during this quarter with Transport for NSW regarding planning for commuter car parking and Sydney Trains regarding the rail corridor.
The pay and display ticket machines at Culworth Ave car park have suffered vandalism over the past 6 months and as a result, a new solar powered pay and display machine has been installed that is credit card capable. The partial sale of the Culworth Ave car park has reduced income for this asset by 29%. A revised parking layout has been distributed to the shop owners and businesses in the Wahroonga Shopping Centre. The draft plan was consulted and supported by the Chamber of Commerce prior to distribution. This will be reported to the August meeting of the Traffic Committee. It was decided not to proceed with paid parking as an option for the main car park due to high level of opposition from residents and business owners.
Gordon town centre The bus interchange including the parking station was completed and opened to the public during this quarter. Council staff are monitoring parking demand in adjoining streets since the parking station has opened. A master plan is progressing for Gordon Town Centre of which traffic and transport reviews will be a major component. Traffic and transport consultants have been engaged and traffic counts due to start at the end of July. Construction of the new link road between Dumaresq Street and McIntyre Street in Gordon commenced during this quarter and a compulsory acquisition process also commenced for the remaining portion of link road between Dumaresq Street and Moree Street. The intention is to improve safe access to Pacific Highway for vehicles and pedestrians in Gordon.
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A snapshot of our achievements | April - June 2015
Lindfield local centre Investigations and discussions have continued with Transport for NSW regarding the option of splitting the proposed 240 commuter parking spaces at Lindfield (Transport for NSW) across the Lindfield Community Hub site and the Lindfield Village Green site. New traffic signals at the intersection of Lindfield Avenue and Tryon Road are being included by consultants as part of the Lindfield Village Green concept plans. A new road link between Bent Street and Beaconsfield Parade is also included in the Lindfield Community Hub concept plans.
NorthConnex project During this quarter the NSW government commenced construction of the project. The Council has continued to keep residents informed of the progress on the project through information on its website provided by the Northconnex community relations team. During the quarter the Council received complaints regarding construction trucks parking along Pacific Highway and referred them to the Northconnex project team.
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
THEME 5 LO C A L E C O N O M Y & E M P LO Y M E N T Creating economic employment opportunities through vital, attractive centres, business innovation and technology.
Activate Lindfield
Activate Turramurra
Three alternative concept designs have been developed for the Lindfield Village Green. These were exhibited for public comment during April and May and Council adopted a preferred option in June.
During the period consultation was held with a range of stakeholders, including further meetings with representatives of Coles Group (owners of 1 Ray Street, Turramurra) regarding master planning requirements.
Four concept designs have been produced for a new park on the western side of Lindfield associated with the Lindfield Community Hub. These were exhibited for public comment during April and May and the Council selected a preferred option in July.
The planning proposal to rezone and reclassify Council owned land from community land to operational land has been prepared by GLN Planning. The planning proposal was submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment on 4 June with a request for gateway determination.
The designs are on public exhibition for two months between 21 March and 8 May. Two exhibition spaces were set up in Woodford Lane and Tryon Road where members of the public could view the designs during the exhibition period and discuss them with Council staff. The public were also invited to fill out surveys, watch a video about the Activate Lindfield project, comment online and register to attend workshops at kmc.nsw.gov.au/activatelindfield in May.
Engagement with the key community stakeholders to identify the requirements for new community facilities and infrastructure was also undertaken during this period.
Demolition of the acquired properties at Bent Street Lindfield, the St Ives Village Green Scout and Guide Halls and the McIntyre Street residence has been completed in preparation for construction of the Village Green and Community Hub. Assessment of the financial feasibility of affordable housing was undertaken for the Lindfield Library Precinct master plan.
St Ives Tourism Precinct In May the 2014 St Ives Medieval Faire won the events category of the Parks & Leisure Australia NSW Awards. St Ives Medieval Faire will now be automatically entered into the Parks & Leisure Australia national awards to be announced in October. With over 2000 members Parks & Leisure Australia is the country’s peak association for open space, events and destination marketing. The events award category recognises ‘events and/or festivals which promote and enhance opportunities for the good use of leisure time and social, environmental and economic benefits to the community’. The Medieval Faire won the NSW event award for originality, community engagement and its focus on sustainability. During the reporting period the following events were provisionally booked for the 2015-2016 financial year. The intent of the events program is to ensure third parties manage and run events in the precinct to minimise the Council’s risk: • The Northside Polo Spectacular – September 2015 • The Indian Festival of Curry - May 2016 • The Raw Challenge in November 2015 and March 2016 • Soccer Festival - November 2016 • Jewish Sports Festival- January 2016
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• The Colour Run - November 2016 • Summertime Music Festival - December 2016 Work began on developing a new website to reflect the Council decision to market the area as a tourism precinct.
Local markets The tender for the St Ives Fresh Food Market at the Old School site was finalised and the successful tenderer will now submit a planning proposal for an inaugural market expected to take place later this year. The Council continued to provide marketing support to the new community market at East Lindfield. The market is growing, extending from the community hall to the grassed area later this year. Council sponsorship was offered for the Wahroonga Food and Wine Festival and St Ives Food and Wine Festival.
Helping small business Council staff continued to develop relationships with local chambers of commerce to support the education, training and engagement of the local business community. A new program of seminars and events was planned during this quarter commencing with a free business breakfast on leadership on 13 August at Warrawee function centre. Council worked with the Small Business Commissioners Office to explore being a signatory to the Small Business Friendly Council program. Council continued with the Small Biz Bus planning for a visit to St Ives in August.
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A snapshot of our achievements | April - June 2015
Digital services Two key certificates were added to the Council’s suite of e-certificates that can be purchased online from 1 July. 121ZP Certificate - This certificate outlines any issues with the building including: • fire safety (smoke alarms, fire doors, emergency lighting) • unauthorised signs • building works that have been done without Council approval • any other development consent conditions that haven’t been observed 735A Certificate - This certificate outlines any issues with the land. These include: • swimming pool and/or spa (fencing, gate, CPR signage) • boundary fences • drainage • soil contamination • accumulated rubbish
A SNAPSHOT OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
THEME 6 LEADERSHIP & GOVERNANCE Ku-ring-gai is well led, managed and supported by ethical organisations which deliver projects and services to the community by listening, advocating and responding to their needs. Fit for the Future During this quarter, a detailed submission to the NSW Government was finalised and submitted by the deadline of 30 June. The submission demonstrated that Ku-ring-gai is ‘fit for the future’ without the need for amalgamation. The submission was prepared following a two month public information and consultation campaign on Fit for the Future between April and June. The campaign was based on a telephone poll, public forums, information leaflet to all residents and online and printed surveys. Over 70% of those residents participating indicated that they wished Ku-ring-gai to remain a stand alone council. Due to the uncertainty of the proposed reforms to local government the Council resolved to defer the relocation into the new administration building at 828 Pacific Highway Gordon. Vacant space within 828 Pacific Highway will now to be leased to commercial tenants. The Council also encouraged residents to view the submission on the IPART website and give feedback during July. The state government is expected to announce its decision on the next stage of Fit for the Future reforms by October 2015.
Ku-ring-gai Sports Forum A Sports Forum was conducted at the Ku-ring-gai Fitness Aquatic Centre in May for sporting groups and organisations in the local area. The forum included a tour of the centre, a presentation on the North Turramurra Recreation Area and a discussion on locations for future synthetic sportsfields in Ku-ring-gai. Around 60 people representing a number of local sporting organisations attended the forum.
Ku-ring-gai community grants Between June and July 2015 the Council offered up to $5,000 in grants to community groups and local businesses through the Ku-ring-gai Community Grants program. A total of $90,000 in grants was on offer. The grants program commenced with a Grants Writing Workshop attended by representatives from 53 local organisations. For the first time applications will be submitted electronically using the Smarty Grants software and this will assist Council in more efficiently administering the grants program. The purpose of the grants program is to build the capacity of local
organisations to deliver new and innovative projects and services that benefit the community. Community groups can apply under the following three categories: • Small equipment • Community development programs • Arts and cultural programs. Successful grant recipients will be notified later in the year.
Grants & investments Between April and June 2015 the Council gave out $15,530 in community grants to various community groups and organisations. The Council obtained $1,682,541 in government grants (excluding the annual Financial Assistance Grant) during this quarter. The net return on investments for the financial year to June 2015 was $3,898,000 against a revised budget of $3,699,000 giving an annual favourable variance of $199,000.
Organisational values During this period Council conducted an in-depth program of consultation with Councillors and staff about a new set of corporate values. The corporate values will ultimately support our vision, shape our culture and reflect what we truly value as an organisation. They will be the essence of Council’s identity, the principles, beliefs and philosophy. The new values will be formally launched to staff in July and incorporated into employees performance plans in the future.
Staff training During the April - June quarter 12 staff undertook external training and 142 staff undertook training hosted within Council. In June all staff were invited to attend one of 13 briefing sessions delivered by People and Culture to introduce the new’ Perform’ performance assessment system and process. A review of the Council’s performance management system was carried out following a staff survey, with a new system to be introduced in August 2015. This system was developed through extensive consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders and the new process has been well received by staff.
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Work health & safety During the April - June quarter 17 Incidents were reported compared with 16 reported in April – June 2014. There were no WorkCover reportable incidents. There was 1 lost time injury during this quarter and 21.2 hours were lost to injury in April – June 2015, compared with 3 lost time injuries and 186.2 hours lost to injury in the same period last year. Two workers compensation claims were made this quarter compared with six in the same period last year. Influenza vaccinations were provided to staff in May with 35% of staff taking up the opportunity (up from 19% the previous year). This promotes a healthier workforce less likely to take sick leave during the winter months. Two health fairs were delivered for both Gordon based staff and staff in the Pymble Operations centre. The health fairs promoted the benefits of good physical and mental health and staff enjoyed a range of activities as well as being able to have their personal biometrics measured. By the end of this quarter and overall for 2014 – 2015: • Lost time Injuries remained consistent with the previous year’s performance. • The number of workers compensation claims reduced by 20%.
statutory development controls and strategic vision for the St Ives local centre. The second appeal sought the use of an existing commercial premise as a 24 hour access gymnasium in Tryon Road, Lindfield. Council raised a number of issues including inadequate information and also insufficient car parking. Again the ruling supported the Council’s framework of planning policy and controls.
Integrated planning & reporting During this period the new Integrated Planning and Performance Reporting corporate system was refined with an easy to use ‘single system’ for monitoring and reporting the Community Strategic Plan, Resourcing Strategy, Delivery Program and Operational Plan. Enhanced quarterly performance reporting to senior management and the incorporation of bi-annual reporting on risk was incorporated into the new system. All performance measures and indicators were reviewed and modified as part of the preparation of the following year’s Operational Plan and Annual Report. Council’s new 2015/2016 Operational Plan and revised Delivery Program were adopted on 23 June 2015. Specific performance indicators and targets will be reported on as part of Council’s June bi-annual review and annual report.
• Hours lost to Injury reduced by 85.5%.
Annual reporting award
Legal appeals
The Council received a gold award in June for the excellent standard of its 2013-2014 annual report in the government reporting category of the Australasian Reporting Awards.
During this quarter the Council successfully defended two appeals lodged against the refusal of two development applications. The first appeal for a residential flat building in Memorial Avenue, St Ives sought approval through the Land and Environment Court to allow a development which in its original form would not meet the statutory requirements in relation to height, floor space and setbacks under the new LEP and DCP for St Ives centre. The outcome tested and upheld the integrity of Council’s
The annual report, which was compiled and produced inhouse, was recognised for the ‘quality coverage’ of Council’s performance and achievements during the 2013-2014 financial year. The Awards are open to all public and private industry sectors in Australia and Asia and provide an opportunity for organisations to benchmark their reports against world best practice for annual reporting. View it online at www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/annualreport
Ku-ring-gai Council 818 Pacific Highway, Gordon NSW 2072 Locked Bag 1056, Pymble NSW 2073 P 02 9424 0000 F 02 9424 0001 E kmc@kmc.nsw.gov.au www.kmc.nsw.gov.au
2014 WINNER
For excellence in local government
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