Annual Report 2018/19
Annual Report 2018/19 1
PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT The Maitland City Council 2018/19 Annual Report is an integral part of our commitment to open and accountable governance. This report provides an overview of our activities for the financial year and looks at our ability to operate sustainably into the future by analysing how strategy, governance, policy and past performance, coupled with future key projects, will guide us towards our future goals. The 2018/19 Annual Report keeps our community and stakeholders, including residents, ratepayers, businesses, visitors, employees, government agencies and community groups, aware of the mechanisms being put in place by Council to ensure Maitland continues to be a city of choice for vibrant living. Aligned with our Delivery Program 2018-2021, this report shows both the achievements and the challenges faced between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019. This report is divided into a number of sections and contains an overview of Maitland City Council and the Maitland Local Government Area, highlights of achievements within each key theme of Maitland +10, continuous improvement and productivity initiatives and statutory reporting. It also provides key messages from the Mayor and General Manager, along with our elected representatives, and information on Council’s structure and people.
We acknowledge the Wonnarua People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land within the Maitland Local Government Area. Council pays respect to all Aboriginal Elders, past, present and future with a spiritual connection to these lands.
For information on Council’s Planning and Reporting framework turn to page 11. Front cover image: After Dark: Winter Solstice.
COMMUNITY HUB GILLIESTON HEIGHTS
2 Maitland City Council
CONTENTS
Our Community Vision ............................................5 Maitland 2018/19 Snapshot.......................................7 Summary of Progress.....................................................8 About Us and Our Role....................................................10 Operational Framework.....................................................11 Who we are..............................................................................12 A Year in Review.........................................................................18 Message from the Mayor............................................................20 Our Councillors.................................................................................22 Message from the General Manager..............................................26 Executive Leadership Team 2018/19................................................28 Our People...................................................................................................30 GOVERNANCE.................................................................................34 Principles of Local Government......................................................................35 Engagement Statistics..........................................................................................36 Connecting with our Community.........................................................................37 Community Biennial Survey.....................................................................................38 Special Rate Variation.................................................................................................40 Continuous Improvement.............................................................................................41 Capital Works Program Highlights.................................................................................44 STATUTORY INFORMATION.............................................................................46 DELIVERY PROGRAM PROGRESS...........................................................................83 Proud People, Great Lifestyle.......................................................................................................84 Our Built Space.....................................................................................................................................92 Our Natural Environment...................................................................................................................98 A Prosperous and Vibrant City.............................................................................................................104 Connected and Collaborative Community Leaders............................................................................110 FINANCIAL INFORMATION...................................................................................................117 Contacting Council.................................................................................................................................................137
8 Annual Report 2018/19 3
STRUCTURE OF THIS REPORT In line with our Delivery Program 2018-2021 and our Operational Plan 2018/19, this report presents information against our five themes:
Proud PEOPLE, great lifestyle Our built space Our natural environment A prosperous and vibrant city Connected and collaborative community leaders OBTAINING ADDITIONAL COPIES If you require a hard copy of this report or would like to provide feedback: • Phone Council on 02 4934 9700 • Visit Council’s Administration Centre at 285-287 High Street, Maitland or the city’s Libraries at Maitland, East Maitland, Thornton or Rutherford. • Send an email to info@maitland.nsw.gov.au • Print a copy via Council’s website maitland.nsw.gov.au • Live Chat online via maitland.nsw.gov.au
4 Maitland City Council
CYCLING IN CENTRAL MAITLAND
OUR COMMUNITY VISION We are a vibrant river city, with heritage in our heart. Our people are caring and active, with access to local activities, services, facilities and employment that accomodate our growing city. We care about our environment, and maintain a balance between conservation and development. Our many leaders work together to realise the economic potential of our city. We are strong and connected, having pride in our City and celebrating together. Together, we make Maitland.
Annual Report 2018/19 5
16
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN
MULTIPURPOSE COURT AND PLAYGROUND GILLIESTON HEIGHTS
6 Maitland City Council
Maitland 2018/19 snapshot
83,203
35.6
YRS OLD MEDIAN AGE
2.31%
ANNUALISED GROWTH RATE
POPULATION
5,729
2.7
BUSINESSES IN MAITLAND
381 CONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATES ISSUED FOR DWELLINGS (INCL. PRIVATE CERTIFIERS)
84.92% HOUSEHOLDS WITH INTERNET CONNECTION
36
$462,000
AVERAGE PEOPLE PER HOUSEHOLD
72 PARKS
SPORTS FIELDS
104,850 PROJECTED POPULATION 2036
MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE
$380
36
MEDIAN RENT PER WEEK
SCHOOLS
20.14% BACHELOR DEGREE OR HIGHER
$644 MEDIAN WEEKLY INCOME
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018 Department of Employment - Small Area Labour Markets (SALM) Department of Planning and Environment - 2018, REMPLAN Community profile, NSW Government - Rent and Sales report March 2018
Annual Report 2018/19 7
SUMMARY OF PROGRESS Below is a summary of our progress against each of our five Delivery Program themes. For more detailed information see the ‘Delivery Program Progress Report ‘ pages 82 to 116.
DELIVERY PROGRAM THEMES
RESULTS P.84
photo in once decided
57 Complete
25 In Progress
4
Proud people, great lifestyle P. 94
Deferred
23 Complete
OUR MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2018/19 • Bakers Brickyard Park upgrade and off leash dog exercise area delivered • New carpark at Metford Recreation Reserve • Skaters Shred at Lawes Street Reserve • Maitland Regional Athletics Centre construction commenced • Community celebrated Youth, Seniors and NAIDOC weeks • 50% of community members hold Library membership • Aboriginal and Access and Inclusion Reference Groups formed • Bio Sand recycled glass supported sustainable road works • Athel D’Ombrain works set to improve inner city access
23 In Progress
• Major works commenced on Maitland Vale Road • Cessnock Road Cycleway closer to completion • Central Maitland Parking Study underway
1 Deferred
OUR BUILT SPACE P. 100
photo in once decided
20
Complete
8
In Progress
• Walka Water Works project wins national award • Revegetation efforts at Walka Water Works keep weeds at bay • Green energy grant supports Gallery upgrade • Maitland’s first pet microchipping day is a success • Funding to support preservation of endangered Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest
2
OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT P. 106
Deferred
20 Complete
photo in once decided
• Destination Management Plan project commenced • Slow Food Earth Market wins International Award • Community has its say on future of Maitland Gaol
11
In Progress
• ‘It Must be Morpeth’ campaign supports local businesses • Walls That Talk featured at Maitland Library • Street Eats attract locals
2
A prosperous and vibrant city P. 112
Deferred
39 Complete
15
8 Maitland City Council
• Citizens engaged in over 15 local projects • Community satisfaction with Council remained high
photo in once decided
CONNECTED AND COLLABORATIVE Leaders
• Local businesses connect at events
2
In Progress
Deferred
• Local volunteers recognised • Plans commenced for new Maitland Administration Centre
OUR CHALLENGES IN 2018/19 • Rapid population growth creates challenge in accessing up to date statistics
OUR FUTURE GOALS FOR 2019/20 • Maitland Regional Athletics Centre to be completed • Gillieston Heights community hub to open • Maitland Park netball and croquet courts to be upgraded • Access to Hunter River at Morpeth to be enhanced
• City growth creates both challenges and opportunities for infrastructure • R utherford Shopping Precinct High Pedestrian Activity Zone pending approval
• Cessnock Road cycleway to be completed • F ootpath from Belmore Bridge to Walka Water Works to be investigated • G overnment Road and Raymond Terrace Road intersection design to be completed • Engineering standards that guide design will be reviewed
• Waste Transfer Facility at Mount Vincent Road at assessment stage
• Restoration and rehabilitation works to continue
• City Wide Waste Strategy takes regional stance
• C onstruction of Waste Transfer Facility at Mount Vincent Road to commence
• M aitland Rural Lands Study pending in consideration of Local Strategic Planning Statement
• L ocal Strategic Planning Statement implementation commenced
• Economic Development Strategy pending completion of Destination Management Plan
• Destination Management Plan to be completed • Economic Development Plan to commence • M aitland Gaol business plan and site master plan to be completed • Smart City Pilot to be implemented
• Council is continuing to seek opportunities to apply for funding to support delivery of major infrastructure
• Customer experience review to be completed • C ouncillor professional development plan to be implemented • Citizens encouraged to participate in review of Maitland +10 • Y outh Participation Project to identify opportunities for youth engagement
Annual Report 2018/19 9
ABOUT US Local government has always been an integral part of the local community. Council’s involvement has grown over the years from an administrator of public finances and affairs, to a provider of a wide and diverse range of community and essential services that promote economic development and enhance quality of life. Local councils are now a vital part of the social infrastructure, providing services which are not provided by any other level of government. For us, it’s about the people of Maitland and creating a city they are proud to call home. We understand that every decision we make has a direct impact on the lifestyle our citizens want and expect by choosing to live here, and as a Council, we embrace the pivotal role we play in the Hunter region.
OUR ROLE
New South Wales Local Government represents close to 7.99 million people in an area covering 800,642 square kilometres. Maitland City Council is responsible for the planning and delivery of services for a population of 83,203 and 33,100 rateable properties over 396 square kilometres. Services provided by Council include:
ASSET CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING
We plan, build and manage community assets including roads, footpaths, car parks, stormwater drains, recreation facilities and cemeteries to meet the needs of a growing community.
We contribute to the growth of our local economy through efficient, timely approval processes, marketing and visitor economy, as well as supporting high profile events and developing Maitland Gaol as an iconic tourist destination.
COMMUNITY SERVICES We enhance and support our community and the many groups within it through active planning, partnerships and provision of high quality, accessible services.
CITY APPEARANCE We plan and deliver a range of activities that contribute to the character of our City, from parklands to street trees, signage and flags to street sweeping, graffiti removal and litter collection.
CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES We contribute to our community’s cultural development and learning through the management and promotion of our libraries, art gallery and museum in addition to initiatives like public art.
RECREATION AND LEISURE We manage our City’s recreation areas including parks, sportsgrounds and green space, as well as aquatic facilities and a range of community buildings including neighbourhood centres and Town Hall.
HEALTH AND SAFETY We enhance community health and safety through the delivery of a range of programs, as well as help protect our community in times of emergency or disaster.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT We plan and manage the sustainable growth and development of our City, whilst respecting our heritage rich built environment.
CITY LEADERSHIP
ROADS AND TRANSPORT
We steer the development of a contemporary City and desirable community through the leadership of our elected Councillors and senior staff. Together, these groups represent community interests, making decisions, setting policies and delivering services.
We provide transport routes for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians through planning and management of road and transport networks in the city.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT We help protect and enhance our natural environment through planning, partnerships and the delivery of a range of programs.
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WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING We manage the collection and disposal of our waste, as well as recovering recyclable materials.
INTEGRATED PLANNING & REPORTING FRAMEWORK Our Delivery Program 2018-2021 sets the strategic direction for Council, including performance indicators for assessing progress. The Delivery Program is based on the vision, themes and values determined with the community in the Community Strategic Plan, Maitland +10 and articulates Council’s role and responsibilities in reaching that vision.
MAITLAND +10 Our long term community strategic plan, Maitland +10 defines our aspirations for the City for the next ten years. It was developed following extensive community consultation, and guides Council in decision making and planning processes.
DELIVERY PROGRAM The Delivery Program outlines what we need to do as an organisation over the Council’s term to ensure we are working towards meeting the goals and aspirations outlined in the Community Strategic Plan, Maitland +10.
RESOURCING STRATEGY The Resourcing Strategy ensures that Council will have all the resources needed to achieve the objectives set out in the Delivery Program and incorporates the: • Asset Management Strategy • Long Term Financial Plan • Workforce Management Plan • Information Communication Technology Strategy.
OPERATIONAL PLAN, ANNUAL BUDGET, FEES AND CHARGES Our annual plan outlines how we will achieve the goals within the Delivery Program. Each year Council reports to the community on the budget and the setting of Fees and Charges for the coming year.
SWAN STREET MORPETH
Annual Report 2018/19 11
WHO WE ARE OUR AREA Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, situated on the Hunter River. The Maitland Local Government Area (LGA) is made up of four wards and over 50 suburbs. It covers 396 square kilometres and is located 32 kilometres from Newcastle and 163 kilometres from Sydney. Our nearest neighbours include the cities and towns of Cessnock, Singleton, Newcastle, Port Stephens and Dungog. Scenic beauty, heritage buildings, unique villages, welcoming people, an attractive lifestyle and convenient location are just some of the factors that have led to Maitland being one of the fastest growing inland cities in Australia. While once transportation in Maitland was dominated by punts along the river, development of rail and road corridors has created an abundance of transport options. All routes lead to Maitland and this grants access to employment opportunities, recreational experiences and lifestyle choices within our city. It is this complex identity which creates the sought after character of Maitland.
POPULATION Over 83,203 residents are settled in our town centres, new and growing suburbs and quiet rural areas. Our residents come from a broad cross section of society, and this range will continue to expand as our city grows, adding to our deep rooted spirit and identity.
CHILDREN’S ART ACTIVITIES BY THE HUNTER RIVER AT THE LEVEE
12 Maitland City Council
Our community is growing at a rate of around 1.6 per cent per year and by 2036, we expect up to 104,850 people to call our city home. The occupation rate of 2.7 people per household is considered medium to high and reflects young families moving into the area. The largest numerical increase in population by age category is 65 years and over which is projected to increase to 24,700 in 2036 (22 per cent), a change of 15,400 people over 20 years. The 0 -14 age group increases in population to 20,400 in 2036. The Maitland Urban Settlement Strategy 2001-2020 provides a sustainable approach to the development of urban release areas to accommodate population growth. In addition, new urban development should be sequenced so that new areas are in close proximity to existing urban areas and urban infrastructure, particularly water and sewer. Our urban growth takes place in a manner which respects the environment and the unique historical and rural identity. Council has therefore included a series of planning objectives in the strategy and considerations for investigations for new urban development. Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018 Department of Planning and Environment - 2018, REMPLAN Community profile.
BITTER & TWISTED 2018 AT MAITLAND GAOL
THE LEVEE
THE
TER
HUN
R
RIVE
GH
HI
MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY
ET
RE
ST
NEW SOUTH WALES
MAITLAND VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE
NEWCASTLE AIRPORT
MAITLAND NEWCASTLE
THE N EW E
NGLA
ND HIG
HWAY
SYDNEY
GETTING TO MAITLAND IS EASY RAIL
The Maitland local government area is located on the North Coast and Hunter rail lines.
ROAD
Maitland is located just 32 kilometres north west of Newcastle and 163 kilometres north of Sydney. Maitland is easily accessible via the A1 Pacific Highway, M1 Pacific Motorway, A43 Highway or the M15 Hunter Expressway. The A43 New England Highway runs through the City.
AIR Newcastle Airport is a short drive from Maitland. There are flights to and from five capital cities, along with major regional centres including Gold Coast, Dubbo, Taree and Ballina/Byron Bay.
Annual Report 2018/19 13
ABORIGINAL HERITAGE
EDUCATION
The original inhabitants of this area are the people of the Wonnarua Nation, ‘people of the mountains and the plains’. Bordering Nations include Worimi, Darkinjung, Kamilaroi, Geawegal, Gringai, Awabakal and Wiradjuri.
Maitland has 23 primary schools, 8 high schools and 5 combined schools.
In Maitland, 4,087 residents identify as Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander, this represents 5.03 per cent of the population, compared to 2.9 per cent of residents in New South Wales.
RURAL AMENITY The Maitland area has long been recognised as being rich in natural resources such as extractive material (coal, sand and minerals) and agricultural land. Whilst agriculture is still highly visible, it is now ranked 17th in income generating industry sectors in Maitland. Our rural areas and landscape contribute significantly to the unique character and identity of Maitland’s towns and villages as shown by the Slow Food Maitland Earth Markets, which provides a sustainable outlet for farmers to sell their local produce to the community. This unique character and identity must be carefully considered in planning for the future.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE The Hunter River meanders through rural and urban areas, providing a scenic backdrop to our everyday lives. Whilst the river’s serenity sometimes becomes more turbulent, the flood prone nature of parts of the city has led to a distinctive land use pattern and built form, with urban areas having clear limits that overlook idyllic pastoral areas.
The Hunter Institute of Technology (TAFE) has a campus in Maitland, as does the privately-owned Hunter Valley Training Company (Australia’s largest group trainer). These facilities provide excellent training in all fields, especially building and construction, engineering, mining, tourism and business administration. The Department of Primary Industries’ Tocal College, which provides specialised training to rural industries is also in close proximity. As at 2018 in Maitland, 30.28% of people attended an educational institution. Of these, 32.02% were in primary school, 22.3% in secondary school and 17.6% in a tertiary or technical institution.
SPECIALIST MEDICAL FACILITIES Confidence in Maitland as a specialist medical hub has continued to grow over the last few years. This includes the expanded Maitland Private Hospital and the attraction to Maitland from medical specialists inside and outside of the Hunter Region. A new Maitland Hospital is currently in the construction stage and once completed will provide services to the lower Hunter community where previously, patients have had to travel to Newcastle or further.
The Hunter River Estuary is a valuable resource for the environment, community and economy. Council is working with the community to enhance the local environment. Impacts are being minimised through the use of good environmental practices and actions via community activities such as schools environment program, Landcare activities, and various environmental partnerships. The Maitland Greening Plan provides a strategic framework for the management of vegetation in Maitland. Major projects have been completed at Tenambit Wetlands, Woodberry Wetlands, and in areas infested by African Olives. Environmental actions of the community and Council have been recognised over many years through the NSW Blue Star Awards and through the receipt of grants to implement projects throughout the local environment.
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Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Department of Planning and Environment 2018, REMPLAN Economy and Community profile 2018.
STREET EATS AT MORPETH COMMON
Annual Report 2018/19 15
CITY & VISITOR ECONOMY
GROSS REGIONAL PRODUCT
Maitland has a diverse visitor economy reflected in the range of products and experiences available. Maitland’s visitor economy has seen modest growth since 2016, increasing by $2 million to represent an annual total industry value of $96 million. Day visitors remain the largest proportion of visitor economy numbers, however domestic overnight visitation has increased by approximately 5% with visiting friends and family.
Gross Regional Product is the market value of all goods and services produced in a local economy. This differs from total turnover figures which includes goods still in production and the sale of goods between companies. The estimated Gross Regional Product (GRP) of Maitland City was $4.761 billion as of June 2019.
To support this visitor economy, Council delivers an enviable annual flagship event program, as well as being the custodian of many of the city’s key visitor economy infrastructure including Maitland Gaol, Walka Water Works, Maitland Regional Art Gallery and The Levee. Council also continues to target this market through the #MyMaitland campaign that commenced in July 2017. Central Maitland is the heart of the city, with its full range of shopping, business and civic functions as well as education, cultural and recreational services. Other key commercial centres include Rutherford, Morpeth and East Maitland where Stockland Green Hills recently more than doubled in size as part of a $414 million redevelopment. Green Hills has been transformed into a fashion, dining, services, and entertainment experience to rival any leading metro shopping centre in Australia, with leading national and international brands. Commerce is thriving with the revitalisation and ongoing development of our business precincts. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have used Maitland as a springboard for entrepreneurship creating an appealing retail mix to match the already flourishing professional services, health industry and visitor economy. Maitland attracts 686,000 visitors from outside the area annually. The tourism sector is expected to grow at a rate of between four and five per cent each year over the next decade. Maitland City Council is working with the community, industry and other key stakeholders to develop a destination management plan. This will be a collaborative roadmap for building and managing our visitor economy. b
The major key propulsive industry sectors in Maitland, which are the drivers of our city’s economy, include construction, financial & insurance services, transport, postal & warehousing, retail trade and health care & social assistance.
HOUSING There are 27,379 occupied private dwellings in the Maitland Local Government Area which accounts for 92.9 per cent of dwellings in the area. 87.1 per cent are separated houses, 10.9 per cent flats/units and semi-detached. Of those, 28.9 per cent are owned outright, 38.3 per cent are owned with a mortgage and 29.5 per cent are rented. The average mortgage repayment is $1,834 per month compared to $2,146 for New South Wales and $1,958 for Australia. The median weekly rent for Maitland City is $380 a week compared to $340 a week for New South Wales and $352 for Australia.
MONTHLY MORTGAGE REPAYMENTS
MEDIAN RENT COSTS
Average monthly mortgage repayments
Weekly median rent costs
$2,200
$400
$2,146
$390
$2,100
$380
$2,000 $1,900
$1,958
$380
$370 $360
$1,834
$352
$350
$1,800
$340
$340 $330
$1,700
$320
$1,600 Maitland
NSW
Australia
$310 Maitland
NSW
Australia
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Department of Employment - Small Area Labour Markets (SALM), Department of Planning and Environment - 2018, REMPLAN Community profile, REMPLAN Economy profile, NSW Government - Rent and Sales reports 2018
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ECONOMIC PROFILE At June 2019, the gross revenue generated by businesses and organisations in Maitland was influenced by five main sectors: •
Construction $1,819 million
•
Manufacturing $1,361 million
•
Retail hiring, real estate sales and other hiring industries $1,072 million
•
Healthcare and social assistance $631 million
•
Mining $598 million.
GROSS REVENUE GENERATED BY FIVE MAIN SECTORS - JUNE 2019
INDUSTRY SECTOR GROSS REVENUE Gross revenue generated by five main sectors - June 2019 25% 20%
19.2% 14.4%
15%
11.3% 10%
6.7%
6.3%
Healthcare and social assistance
Mining
5% 0% Construction
Manufacturing
Retail hiring, real estate sales and other hiring industries
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Department of Employment - Small Area Labour Markets (SALM), Department of Planning and Environment - 2018, REMPLAN Community profile, REMPLAN Economy profile, NSW Government - Rent and Sales report
GILLIESTON HEIGHTS AERIAL VIEW
Annual Report 2018/19 17
2018/19 - A Year in Review
SHORT SHOWCASE OF EVENTS, KEY ACTIVITIES AND HIGHLIGHTS
JULY
NOVEMBER
8-15 NAIDOC Week
2 Sixth Annual Art & Dementia fundraiser at MRAG
10 NAIDOC Week Ceremony
3-4 Bitter & Twisted Festival at Maitland Gaol
23 Native seedling giveaway - Walka Water Works
8-10 Foreign Film Nights
28 MRAG Nicola Bolton, The Garden Palette exhibition opened
10 Tim Maguire, Mixing Numbers: A survey of print and video 2003-2018 exhibition at MRAG opened
29 National Tree Day planting at Walka Water Works
15 Compost giveaway
AUGUST 1 Local Government Week Breakfast 11-12 Aroma Coffee and Chocolate Festival
16 Santa’s Backyard sets up at The Riverlink in The Levee 16 LIVE at The Levee features Moonsign and Morgana Redeveloped multipurpose courts at Largs Park completed 28 The Levee Trader Christmas Function
17 The first LIVE at The Levee featuring Truman Smith Band 25 Paul Partos from the MRAG Collection exhibition and Finding County exhibition opened
DECEMBER 1 MRAG Summer Series launched
SEPTEMBER 1 Native seedling – East Maitland 8 Brenda Clouten Memorial Travelling Scholarships for Young Achievers in Visual Arts at MRAG announced 21 LIVE at The Levee features Bodie Werleman 29 Newcastle Jets v Western Sydney Wanderers at Maitland No. 1 Sportsground 13 Art and Dementia Community Day 22 Kite Making Workshop by Nina Katzmarski at The Levee Footpath works South Seas Drive and Galway Drive Ashtonfield
OCTOBER 3 Kite Making Workshop by Nina Katzmarski at The Levee 5, 9 & 11 Jamo Jamo Drumming Workshop at The Levee
5 Maitland City Council Volunteer Christmas Function and Service Awards 5 Business Leaders Lunch 12 East Maitland Skatepark at Lawes Street Reserve officially opened 15-24 Christmas Snowland at Riverside Plaza 21 LIVE at The Levee features Dave Wells and Georgie Jones 22 Guilty in Green exhibition at Maitland Gaol opened 31 Maitland’s New Year’s Eve City Trader Function
JANUARY 11 Street Eats – Lorn 18 LIVE at The Levee features The Dew Cats
11 Rutherford Shred
20 Street Eats – East Maitland
13 Riverlights Multicultural Festival
25 Street Eats – Gillieston Heights
16 Small Business Month Breakfast with keynote speaker Peter Kenyon
26 Australia Day celebrations – Maitland Park
19 LIVE at The Levee features The Autumn Hearts 21-27 National Water Week
FEBRUARY
22-28 Aussie Backyard Bird Count
2 The Poetry of Space: The Art of Tim Winters exhibition opened 8 Street Eats Get Together – Lorn 8 Comedy Flicks at the Common- Morpeth Common 15 LIVE at The Levee features Carl the Bartender 21 Lonnie Lee and the Leeman Perform at Maitland Town Hall 23 The Levee One Day Sale
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23 Charles Blackman from the Maitland Regional Art Gallery Collection exhibition opened 24 Street Eats Get Together – Morpeth Seniors Week events
MARCH 1 Street Eats – East Maitland 2 Newcastle Knights v Cronulla Sharks at Maitland No 1 Sportsground 3 Clean Up Australia Day local events 9-10 Maitland Taste Festival 15 LIVE at The Levee features Ellie Drennan 22 Street Eats – Lorn 23 Lawes Street Shred 25 Staging Colours at The Levee commences Native seedling giveaway
APRIL 7 Street Eats – Morpeth 10-18 Youth Week local events 13 Night Shred at Woodberry Skate Park 13-14 Burton Automotive Hunter Valley Steamfest 17 Art by the River - Maitland 17 Business Leader Lunch 19 LIVE at The Levee features Blue Tide and Rachel Maria Cox 24 Art by the River - Maitland Metford Recreation Reserve car park completed
MAY 17 LIVE at The Levee features First Gleny Rae 24 drumMUSTER collection at Works Depot Bakers Brickyard Playground and Off Leash Dog Exercise Area completed
JUNE 22 After Dark - Winter Solstice - The Levee 29 The Levee One Day Sale Lochinvar Sports Complex change room upgrade completed Fencing at A&D Lawrence Oval completed
MAITLAND TASTE 2019 Annual Report 2018/19 19
Message from the Mayor With our population now reaching over 83,000 people, the importance of the decisions Council makes to help in shaping and servicing our growing community cannot be over stated. I was proud to once again lead a diverse team of Councillors in fulfilling this role in 2018/19. Community wellbeing is of particular interest to me, and this year we continued our focus on programs designed to bring new and established residents together. I joined tens of thousands of residents and visitors in enjoying our festivals and events across the year, from New Year's Eve on the banks of the Hunter River through to Bitter and Twisted at Maitland Gaol in November and the many big and small events in between. Not only do these events allow us to connect with one another, but importantly provide significant economic and cultural benefits – all contributing to the unique vibrancy of our city.
Speaking of athletes, during the year we hosted football matches at No. 1 Sportsground. First up was Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners, and seeing world’s fastest man Usain Bolt present at the match was a thrill for many. The second saw Newcastle Jets take on the Western Sydney Wanderers. The utilisation of the ground for top quality matches is a testament to the quality of the facility. There is so much more to share, as you will see when you read through this document. I hope you find the Annual Report 2018/19 informative. You are encouraged to share your feedback via maitlandyoursay.com.au as we are committed to providing our residents with all of the information you need to be informed on Council's operations.
I am also passionate about ensuring community input into our decision making and working in partnership with diverse groups, in 2018/19 we saw the establishment of both Aboriginal and Access and Inclusion Reference Groups, as well as a continuing our broader program of community engagement on a range of plans and projects. Our recreation spaces were also expanded, including further improvements at Bakers Brickyard Playground in Raworth and the new Lawes Street Skatepark in East Maitland. Works were also undertaken to enhance access, parking and shade at sportsgrounds and parks at various sites across the city, while our four legged friends were not forgotten with our fenced off leash dog areas. I know our residents in Gillieston Heights have noticed the first stages of the Cessnock Road cycleway, a much needed shared pathway between the suburb and Central Maitland. In further works in the suburb, the Gillieston Heights Community Hub was taking shape. Soon set to open, it is a high quality, flexible facility that is sure to be well used. Work also continued on the construction of our new regional athletics track, jointly funded by Council and the NSW State Government. Stage 2 is due for completion in 2020, and will be a top class facility supporting current and emerging local athletes. In October 2018, it was announced that we had been successful in receiving a grant of around $5.2 million to help with Stage 3, being the completion of the Maitland Regional Sports Hub.
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CR LORETTA BAKER
CR LORETTA BAKER MAITLAND CITY COUNCIL MAYOR Cr Loretta Baker has lived in the area for over 30 years and first became a Maitland City councillor in 2008. Loretta made the decision to run for Council as she saw it as an opportunity to further her interest in and commitment to social justice. Loretta, who became the first female mayor in Maitland’s history in September 2017, is a nurse with a strong interest in social issues, specifically health, transport and housing. For Loretta, being Mayor means that she can be more involved in advocating for equal opportunity for all community members and have a say on the way the city develops over time. She has been a major supporter of bringing change to Central Maitland, specifically paving the way for people to live in the city to be closer to essential amenities and services. ‘If we can get more people living in Central Maitland it will boost our economy and better our environment by increasing the number of people using public transport and decreasing the number of cars on our roads.’ Loretta is also keen to see Maitland’s heritage maintained in a practical way that preserves the integrity and value of our assets. In her spare time Loretta enjoys film, theatre and dining out. She is also an avid gardener and is inspired by Edna Walling’s garden rooms. To read the profiles of each of our Councillors turn to page 22.
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS WITH MAYOR LORETTA BAKER
Annual Report 2018/19 21
North Ward CR ROBERT AITCHISON Robert is a second term councillor who believes Maitland is a vibrant city and feels fortunate that he gets to wake up every day and call it his home. Since moving to the area in 2000, Robert and his wife have loved seeing their two children grow and become part of Maitland. He believes the continued growth of the city is important and is pleased about the recent projects and road upgrades which have come to fruition, specifically major infrastructure projects such as the Haussman Drive upgrade and continued improvement of roads and facilities in Woodberry. ‘I have been fortunate to be part of the team that has delivered The Levee, The Riverlink Building, an indoor aquatic centre with record visitation, Maitland No. 1 Sportsground and a world class athletics centre which is on track to open in 2020’.
CR MITCHELL GRIFFIN Mitchell, who is in his first term as a councillor, has family links to Maitland for more than 180 years. He has worked in health care for 15 years and was Deputy Mayor of Maitland for 2018/19. Mitchell is proud to play his part in an evolving city which is moving forward in to the future as a great place to live, work and play. Mitchell is an active member of the community involved by regularly attending community group meetings. Mitchell is also a founding member of the H2O Baptist Church, a supporter of various community groups and sporting clubs, and an accredited volunteer official for the Supercar series. ‘I’m proud of progress made by the Council over the last 12 months with the formation of the Access and Inclusion Reference Group which involves community members in building on the Disability Inclusion Action Plan’.
CR MIKE YARRINGTON Mike, who owns and runs a trophy and promotions business in Maitland, has lived in the area for more than 20 years and currently resides in Thornton. He says becoming a councillor was something he thought a lot about but he decided it was a natural progression from all the work he’d done with community groups and sporting clubs around the area. Mike, who is a big Sydney Swans fan, is pleased with the recent and planned improvement of Maitland’s sports and recreation facilities and believes the place activation program is a great initiative that uses various locations in Maitland to make the city attractive to visitors. ‘I was pleased to see the upgrade of the park at Baker’s Brickyard to include amenities and an off leash dog area. I am also happy to see how the cycleway from Gillieston Heights to Maitland has taken shape over the last 12 months’.
22 Maitland City Council
Central Ward CR PHILIP PENFOLD Philip was born and bred in Maitland, and was first elected to Council in 2008. He first became inspired to make a difference in Maitland while spending 18 months living in the USA. During his time there he said he was lucky enough to witness the small, but very proud and community minded city, of Creston, Iowa. He saw the Council and community work together to achieve results, based on their commitment and love for their home town. Philip said these actions motivated him to take part in his own home town of Maitland. ‘Maitland has wonderful parks and recreational facilities, which presents plenty of opportunities to promote an active and healthy lifestyle for families. ‘I was very pleased Council was able to progress road, traffic and car parking improvements, as well as the many recreation and sporting facility improvements in 2018/19’.
CR SALLY HALLIDAY First term councillor, Sally moved to the Maitland area 20 years ago after growing up in different towns in Western NSW and overseas. Sally is a single mum, loves staying busy and has a thirst for learning and study. At the moment, Sally works as a primary school teacher but she has always been involved in the community and that is what stemmed her interest in running for Council. She prides herself on doing her best with anything she puts her mind to and she wants to help build on the good work of councillors before her. ‘I have a strong grasp of financial management, taking care of assets and I’m very well organised. I know that has been a strength of Maitland City Council in the past.’ ‘I’m happy to see many items in the Delivery Program that have been discussed come to fruition such as cycleways, rubbish and the continued development of parks, including Maitland Park’.
CR DONALD FERRIS First term councillor, Don, who moved to the area eight years ago, is a busy father of four daughters and works as a contract manager. Don has a Bachelor of Horticultural Science and a degree in Business and Environmental Management. He’s always had a passion for the environment and that’s one of the reasons he decided to run for Council. Don and his young family are active members of the community and all enjoy the sporting fields, parks, pools and playgrounds that Maitland has to offer. Don believes the quality of life experienced in Maitland is absolutely terrific and Maitland’s rich heritage, culture, renowned art gallery and wonderful library service, make Don very proud to tell people he lives in Maitland. ‘I want Maitland to continue to grow into a vibrant city offering a wide diversity of experiences. Being in the middle of the Hunter Valley means there are so many recreational, educational and job opportunities right on our door’.
Annual Report 2018/19 23
East Ward CR PETER GARNHAM Peter, who has lived in Maitland for 57 years, is in his fifth term as a Maitland City councillor, after originally being elected in 1999. Peter has always been very active in the Maitland community through organisations such as Lions Club, Rotary, Apex, the Maitland Steam and Antique Machinery Association. He initially decided to run for Council because he felt he had something valuable to contribute. Peter is passionate about seeing Maitland grow and is dedicated to ensuring investment and employment grows at the same pace. He is also committed to enhancing Maitland’s already vibrant events tourism sector. ‘There’s plenty of potential for attracting new industries and commercial enterprise to Maitland, along with the expansion of our existing economic landscape.’ ‘It is pleasing to see the finalisation of the projects that were undertaken in the 2018/19 financial year and also the works still to be completed like the Regional Athletics Centre and the Abbot Street roadworks to provide the link to the inner city bypass’.
CR KANCHAN RANADIVE First term councillor, Kanchan, fell in love with Maitland when she moved to the Hunter from Pune, India, in 2002. Her husband, who is an equine vet, was head hunted for a job at a thoroughbred stud farm and the couple haven’t looked back. The pair have a son together, and Kanchan has a background in engineering and works as a bank manager. Kanchan is pleased to see the recent infrastructure works which have been completed and commenced across Maitland. ‘I am particularly excited about the new Community Hub at Gillieston Heights and to see the progress on the new Regional Athletics Centre, which will help make Maitland a great sports hub, complementing No. 1 Sportsground’. ‘The place activation program is another one that has been a good project to utilise the various locations in Maitland and make our city attractive to visitors’.
CR BEN WHITING Ben was raised in Maitland and has lived here most of his life. He is a second term councillor, with 2012 marking the start of his tenure. Ben has a strong interest in both the political and operational side of Council. He has a keen interest in the urban and economic planning of the city. These interests were the main reason Ben decided to run for Council. Ben is an avid sportsman who loves hockey, football and the Walka Water Works Parkrun, and his work as chairperson on the Maitland Park Recreation Board drove the development of the outdoor gym, which was constructed in 2016. ‘I have been enthusiastic to see Maitland’s infrastructure develop through 2018/19 including the commencement of the city’s new Athletics Centre and the completion of the Gillieston Heights Community Hub’.
24 Maitland City Council
West Ward CR HENRY MESKAUSKAS Henry was a Maitland City councillor from 1987 until 1997 and returned in 2001. He first ran because he felt he could contribute positively to the community through his passion for helping people and his devotion to Maitland. When he initially stood as a councillor he thought people weren’t receiving adequate representation for their problems and causes. Henry has lived in Maitland his entire life – since 1952. He is married and has three children, nine grandchildren and one great granddaughter. He is always excited to help Maitland progress but sees this term as a time to create lasting and transformational change in the city. ‘The people of Maitland are a proud people and I want to continue to deliver a great city appearance, place activation, community development, community health and safety, and sport and recreation facilities. I’m proud of assets such as Maitland Gaol and Maitland Regional Art Gallery, in addition to the great events we continue to bring to this great city of ours’.
CR NICOLE PENFOLD Nicole was born and bred in Maitland and is in her second term as a Maitland City councillor. Nicole is grateful for the fortunate lifestyle she’s been able to live in Maitland and cites this gratitude as one of the reasons she decided to first run for Council in 2012. A working wife and mother of two, Nicole has brought a different perspective to Council and she’s worked to achieve fair and balanced decision making. ‘We are moving into a period of change and growth so it’s important all in our community are represented. My family face the same challenges many other Maitland families face, and I hope to ensure our planning reflects the needs of everyone in the community’. Nicole is enthusiastic about seeing the infrastructure improvements in Maitland over 2018/19. ‘The works completed, and new work underway at the Maitland Sportsground precinct, along with the disability access at Maitland Pool have been particular highlights for me’.
CR BEN MITCHELL At just 27 years old Ben is the youngest councillor in Maitland’s history, but he insists that his age won’t define him. Ben grew up on a rural property near Mingenew, a small town in Western Australia’s northern wheatbelt. He’s always had a love of plants and gardens which meant his decision to become a horticulturalist after school was an easy one. He moved to Maitland six years ago and works in the Hunter Valley. Ben decided to run for Council because he didn’t want to join the ‘keyboard warriors’ and talk about what was wrong in the city, he wanted to actually do something positive and practical. ‘I’ve been pleased to see the recent progress on the Cessnock Road Cycleway, upgrade to Athel D’Ombrain Drive and the new Regional Athletics Centre’.
Annual Report 2018/19 25
Message from the General Manager I am pleased to present our 2018/19 Annual Report to Council and our community. The release of the document enables us to detail how we have progressed toward the goals established in our Delivery Program, as well as be openly accountable for decisions made during the year in a range of areas – from the awarding of major contracts, responses to complaints, administration of grants, public access to Council held information and more.
An important performance benchmark for Council is our level of community satisfaction, and in 2018 we engaged IRIS Research to undertake our biennial community survey. Involving telephone surveys of 645 residents, the results found our overall level of community satisfaction remains steady with only 10% of residents expressing some level of dissatisfaction. While a solid achievement, we are continuing to identify initiatives to assist in lifting the overall level of satisfaction.
Our budget of $144 million supported a significant program of standard capital works, major recreational infrastructure projects, a diverse series of programs, and provision of essential services. Council is one of the city’s largest employers, with a headcount of 499 people. Our staff are tasked with delivering construction and maintenance programs, running our gallery, pools and libraries, managing development application processes, collecting bins, planning and designing infrastructure, staging events, overseeing our sporting facilities, and the delivery of many more core activities.
Our Annual Report also provides us with the opportunity to reflect on our challenges. We are aware that the growth of our city has resulted in changing demand for infrastructure and services, all within a framework of financial sustainability for both Council and our community. A range of planning initiatives are set for completion in 2019/20, including our new Local Strategic Planning Statement to underpin our land use planning for the next 20 years. This will also integrate with the State’s planning framework, in particular the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan.
I am also proud to say that our staff right across the organisation are focused on productivity improvement. This might, for example, involve a focus on new technology to do their work more efficiently or ensuring best practice procurement maximises value for money. Our productivity savings in 2018/19 once again exceeded target, reaching $635,000. Our focus is not just on saving dollars, but also exploring all options for generating revenue. Staff achieved over $12 million in grants during the year, contributing to a range of capital works and operational programs that would otherwise have been delayed or simply unachievable.
This is the second Annual Report for the current three year term of Council. I acknowledge the leadership of our Mayor and Councillors, the management of our Executive Team and Corporate Leadership Group, and the dedication of all employees in contributing to the achievements highlighted within this report.
The growth of the city continues at pace, with 1,187 development applications approved in 2018/19 – the most processed in the past four years. Our residential growth fronts continue in Gillieston Heights and Chisholm, and we will increasingly see growth in the west of the city in Lochinvar and Anambah. After a number of years of planning and consultation, in May 2019 the Development Application for the construction of the Maitland Administration Centre was lodged. The building will be constructed on the eastern side of Maitland Town Hall and includes upgrades to and integration with the Town Hall and the old Town Hall Café building, road widening and footpath improvements in the immediate precinct and utility and service upgrades. It’s difficult to list only a few highlights of our capital works program, as there were many. The $3.5 million road reconstruction and widening on Abbot Street, Central Maitland to provide an inner city bypass alternative to High Street is set for completion in 2019. We also saw major works completed on Brunswick Street, East Maitland; Luskintyre Road, Luskintyre; Morpeth Road, East Maitland and Eurimbla Street, Thornton. Footpaths were also constructed in South Seas and Galway Drives in Ashtonfield.
DAVID EVANS PSM GENERAL MANAGER
26 Maitland City Council
ROAD RECONSTRUCTION AND DRAINAGE WORKS ABBOT STREET CENTRAL MAITLAND
Annual Report 2018/19 27
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM Leadership Group male/female breakdown Position
Number of Employees
Female
Male
General Manager
1
0
1
Group / Executive Manager
7
5
2
Managers
11
4
7
* figures based on Leadership Team at time of publication
Left to Right: Judy Jaeger, Group Manager, Culture, Community & Recreation, Leah Flint, Group Manager, Strategy, Performance & Business Systems, Chris James, Group Manager, Infrastructure & Works, David Evans, General Manager, Matt Prendergast, Group Manager, Planning & Environment, Rachel MacLucas, Executive Manager, Vibrant City, and Tiffany Allen, Executive Manager, Workplace, Culture & Safety. Aside from the above functions, all Group and Executive Managers share the below core functions: ·· Communication (internal and external) ·· Continuous improvement ·· Councillor liaison ·· Citizen service ·· Engagement ·· Integration and partnership ·· Staff leadership and management ·· Sustainability.
28 Maitland City Council
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
COUNCIL
MAYOR
Executive Manager Workplace Culture & Safety Tiffany Allen
Executive Manager Vibrant City Rachel MacLucas
Industrial Relations
Marketing
Recruitment & Retention Training & Development Work, Health & Safety Injury Management
City and Visitor Economy Communication (External & Internal) Citizen Services Community Engagement Media
Workforce Planning
Events
Workers Compensation
Gaol
Place Activation
GENERAL MANAGER
Office of OF the OFFICE THEGeneral GENERAL MANAGER Manager
Group Manager Culture, Community & Recreation Judy Jaeger
Group Manager Planning, & Environment Matt Prendergast
Community Facilities Management
Strategic Planning
Recreation Facilities Management Major Venues Management Library Services Art Gallery Aquatics Community Planning & Support Services
City Planning Recreation Facilities Planning Community Facilities Planning Section 94 Planning Development & Building Environmental Management City Heritage Community Health Waste Management Floodplain Management Compliance
• • • • •
General Manager Support Mayoral Support Executive Support Coordination Civic Events & Functions Councillor Support Services
Group Manager Infrastructure & Works Chris James
Group Manager Strategy, Performance & Business Systems Leah Flint
Asset Management
Chief Financial Officer
Capital Works Program
Strategy & Performance
Major Projects (scoping & procurement)
Integrated Planning & Reporting
Capital Works Construction
Finance/ Financial Planning
Civil Works Construction & Maintenance
Rating
Parks & Recreation Maintenance Community Buildings & Maintenance
Information Technology Governance & Information Stores & Purchasing
Survey & Design
Property Services
Traffic & Transport Planning
Risk Management
Mechanical Services, Plant & Depot Development/ Subdivision Engineering
Productivity & Continuous Improvement Internal Audit Payroll
Emergency Management
Annual Report 2018/19 29
OUR PEOPLE We are a large regional Council with up to 499 full and part time employees (including casuals) and a budget of $144 million in 2018/19. The significance of Council to our local community cannot be overstated.
EMPLOYEE PROFILE HEADCOUNT Council provides a range of flexible employment arrangements. A significant portion (25%) of the workforce is made up of part time and casual employees at different levels within the organisation. The total employee headcount includes all casuals, temporary staff and employees engaged through agencies or labour hire companies.
EMPLOYEE HEADCOUNT
482 2017/18
EMPLOYEE FULL TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE) POSITIONS
499 2018/19
403.5
397.9
2017/18
2018/19
GENDER BREAKDOWN
55% MALE
45% FEMALE
EMPLOYEE TURNOVER FOR 2018/19 71 LEAVERS 120 NEW STARTERS 71 120
30 Maitland City Council
POSITION STATUS BREAKDOWN Function
Number of Staff
Full time
Part time
Temporary
Infrastructure & Works
184
174
4
6
Strategy, Performance & Business Systems
47
36
11
0
Vibrant City
41
29
6
6
General Manager
4
3
1
0
Planning & Environment
71
58
12
1
Culture, Community & Recreation
69
37
18
14
Workplace Culture & Safety
13
7
2
4
429*
344
54
31
TOTAL
*NB: This figure does not include casuals.
SEEDLING GIVEAWAY
Annual Report 2018/19 31
EMPLOYEE PROFILE AGE PROFILE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The age profile of our workforce is similar to that of other local Councils, with an average of 43 years. This will present some challenges in the future as it is expected a considerable portion of the workforce will approach retirement within a similar timeframe.
During 2018/19, Council supported four Business Administration trainees to achieve their Certificate III in Business Administration. Council is also supporting four Apprentices to undertake a Certificate III Horticulture and two Apprentice to undertake a Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology.
Significant workforce planning is being undertaken to identify critical segments of the workforce and this will take into consideration Council’s age profile.
Council supported 15 employees to commence or continue working towards furthering professional development through study. Council took advantage of the government funding provided through Smart and Skilled with 13 staff currently undertaking a range of courses for professional development. Further, Council provided training not previously offered before including fatigue management, drone and mental health first aid to a variety of staff.
The age profile of our workforce is similar to that of other local Councils, with an average of 43 years.
32 Maitland City Council
In the coming year Council’s focus will be on targeted talent development in line with identified critical segments in the strategic workforce plan and as an outcome of the staff survey.
WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY In 2018/19 there were 111 reported incidents, including near misses. In comparison there were 124 reported incidents in 2017/18 and 133 in 2016/17.The reported work place incidents involved both Council staff and contractors engaged by Council. In the 2018/19 period there was an increase in property damage at fault incidents compared to 2017/18 and 2016/17. There was a continuing decrease in the number of reportable incidents for both first aid and medical treatment. 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 First aid treatment
Medical treatment
Property damage at fault
2018/19
2017/18
Near misses
2016/17
SPRAYER OPERATOR MAITLAND NO. 1 SPORTSGROUND
Annual Report 2018/19 33
GOVERNANCE Principles of Local Government....................................................................................................................................................35 Engagement Statistics....................................................................................................................................................................36 Connecting with our Community.................................................................................................................................................37 Community Biennial Survey.........................................................................................................................................................38 Special Rate Variation....................................................................................................................................................................40 Continuous Improvement.............................................................................................................................................................41 Capital Works Program Highlights................................................................................................................................................44
LOCAL ROAD WORKS MAITLAND VALE ROAD MAITLAND 34 Maitland City Council
PRINCIPLES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The Local Government Act (1993) provides Council with the following principles:
(i) performance management and reporting,
Council should:
(iii) funding decisions,
Exercise of functions a. provide strong and effective representation, leadership, planning and decision making b. carry out functions in a way that provides the best possible value for residents and ratepayers c. plan strategically, using the integrated planning and reporting framework, for the provision of effective and efficient services and regulation to meet the diverse needs of the local community d. apply the integrated planning and reporting framework in carrying out their functions so as to achieve desired outcomes and continuous improvements e. work cooperatively with other councils and the State government to achieve desired outcomes for the local community f. manage lands and other assets so that current and future local community needs can be met in an affordable way g. work with others to secure appropriate services for local community needs h. act fairly, ethically and without bias in the interests of the local community i. be responsible employers and provide a consultative and supportive working environment for staff. Decision Making
(ii) asset maintenance and enhancement, (iv) risk management practices d. have regard to achieving intergenerational equity, including ensuring the following: (i) policy decisions are made after considering their financial effects on future generations, (ii) the current generation funds the cost of its services. Integrated planning and reporting a. identify and prioritise key local community needs and aspirations and consider regional priorities b. identify strategic goals to meet those needs and aspirations c. develop activities, and prioritise actions, to work towards the strategic goals d. ensure that the strategic goals and activities to work towards them may be achieved within council resources e. regularly review and evaluate progress towards achieving strategic goals f. maintain an integrated approach to planning, delivering, monitoring and reporting on strategic goals g. collaborate with others to maximise achievement of strategic goals h. manage risks to the local community or area or to the council effectively and proactively i. make appropriate evidence based adaptations to meet changing needs and circumstances.
a. recognise diverse local community needs and interests b. consider social justice principles
Participating at Maitland City Council
c. consider the long term and cumulative effects of actions on future generations.
Council actively encourages open government and welcomes constructive contributions in the running of Council. Input can be made through a range of opportunities including planning processes, Council meetings and topical community forums.
d. consider the principles of ecologically sustainable development e. be transparent and decision makers are to be accountable for decisions and omissions. Community participation a. actively engage with their local communities, through the use of the integrated planning and reporting framework and other measures. Sound financial management a. spending should be responsible and sustainable, aligning general revenue and expenses b. invest in responsible and sustainable infrastructure for the benefit of the local community c. have effective financial and asset management, including sound policies and processes for the following
The corporate website maitland.nsw.gov.au provides detailed information on the operations of Council, meeting agendas and a range of strategic plans, documents and guidelines. Council’s community engagement website maitlandyoursay. com.au hosts forums and surveys on a range of topics to engage the community and inform Council’s decision making. Meetings of Council are held in the Council Chambers of the Town Hall on High Street, Maitland on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, commencing at 5.30pm. All members of the public are invited to attend these meetings (other than Confidential Sessions). A public access session is held at the beginning of each meeting where any member of the public can address Council on Agenda items. To find the Public Access Speakers Request form visit maitland.nsw.gov.au/ CouncilInformation/MeetingsAgendas.
Annual Report 2018/19 35
ENGAGEMENT STATISTICS The community was actively involved in Council decision making in 2018/19 providing input into the following projects: Project
Participants
Biennial Community Satisfaction Survey + focus groups
643
Central Maitland Parking Study
530
Customer Experience Review
232
Destination Management Plan Phase One
764
Draft Delivery Program 2018-2021 incorporating Operational Plan 2019/20 Hausmann Drive Road Upgrade
19 5
Library Services Review
314
Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest
161
Maitland Gaol Business Plan and Site Master Plan
241
Maitland Park Future Amenities Building
7
O’Hearn Street Park, Tenambit
119
Review of Maitland Urban Settlement Strategy
31
Rutherford Shred Skate Parks Project
32
Seniors Festival in Maitland
135
Stage 2 Walka Water Works Interpretation Plan
68
Willow Drive Park, Metford
140
Over 3,440 people actively participated in Council projects by providing input through online and face to face engagement methods. Opportunities for community input included pop up booths at key events and community locations, online idea walls, surveys, focus groups, submissions, workshops, online mapping tools and drawing. Visit maitlandyoursay.com.au to view current and past consultation opportunities and to subscribe to the Maitland Your Say mailing list. Engagement statistics for 2018/19 Number of engagement projects Unique visits to Maitland Your Say site Maitland Your Say Facebook group members
36 Governance
Number 16 9,095 216
CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY Community visitation figures for 2018/19
Council Service Area
2018/19
2017/18
2016/17
2015/16
226,660*
242,915
215,520
212,543
Phone calls to our Citizen Service Centre
66,530
69,749
64,135
68,937
Service requests
10,059
9,887
11,567
12,855
Live chat *
3,273
4,778
7,954
N/A
Development Applications approved
1,187
986
1,003
1,069
445
440
500
553
Visits to the libraries across our four branches
221,410
240,349
250,126
282,597
Visits to the pools across our two locations
192,237
210,411
151,135
134,713
Visits to Maitland Regional Art Gallery
61,739
68,461
67,126
67,983
Visits to Maitland Gaol
23,644
30,220
25,390
24,665
Visits to the Visitor Information Centre
13,587
14,900
16,384
18,049
Facebook page likes ^
62,076
54,253
46,838
35,000
Followers on Twitter
3,344
3,249
2,900
2,500
Followers on Instagram
3,022
1,862
739
N/A
Unique visits to Council’s website ~
Construction Certificates approved
* Online chat numbers have continued to fall following the launch of Council’s new website in 2017, which has provided improved search functionality. ^ In 2017/18 Council’s Facebook sites were reviewed, resulting in the merger of Maitland Your Say with Maitland City Council and reducing the number of pages from eight to seven. ~ The 2017/18 FY had a significantly higher number of unique visits due to the Local Government Election held in September 2017.
LAWES STREET SHRED EAST MAITLAND SKATE PARK LAWES STREET RESERVE
Annual Report 2018/19 37
COMMUNITY BIENNIAL SURVEY Council is committed to engaging the community in its planning and decision making. In order to monitor community levels of satisfaction with Council services and facilities, every two years Council engages an independent research company to undertake a community survey. In 2018, this survey was undertaken by IRIS Research.
service out of 14 regional comparable councils. This was followed by festivals and major events with an average satisfaction rating of 4.1 out of 5, which has not changed since 2016. Maitland Regional Art Gallery (4.4), Maitland libraries (4.3), swimming pools (4.2) and Maitland Gaol (4.2) were the best performing community facilities.
As in previous years, the survey methodology was aligned to the ten year Community Strategic Plan ‘Maitland +10’ and Delivery Program 2018-2021. The plans establish a range of outcomes and objectives for both the community and Council and it’s important for Council to monitor progress against performance indicators over time. While many of these indicators are quantitative and based on data such as population growth, a significant proportion are based on community perceptions and satisfaction.
Provision and maintenance of local parks, gardens and playgrounds also received high satisfaction scores while satisfaction for sportsgrounds and ovals, community halls and centres and the visitor information centre has increased since 2016. Traffic management and development assessment and approvals were the lowest performing services with satisfaction ratings of 2.7 and 2.9 out of 5 respectively.
IRIS Research conducted a statistically valid community survey with a representative cross section of Maitland residents using Computer Aided Telephone Interviews (CATI) between 3 and 14 December 2018. The survey was also made available on Council’s Maitland Your Say website and promoted via social media to target residents aged 18 to 34 who are more difficult to contact via phone. The survey yielded 645 completed responses that measured community satisfaction across 31 Council services and facilities. The research revealed that the overall satisfaction rate with Council was 3.5 out of 5. This result remains unchanged from the 2016 satisfaction survey and is consistent with the past several years of survey data. Only 12% of residents were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with Council’s overall performance. Kerbside garbage, recycling and garden organics collection was the highest performing service with an average satisfaction rating of 4.2 out of 5 and was the best performing waste
The survey also explored community perceptions of Council and found awareness of the Community Strategic Plan ‘Maitland +10’ has increased 10% in the past two years. However, awareness of the Mayor and Councillors has decreased since 2016. A total of 40% of residents believe there are adequate opportunities for young people to have their say on Council decision making and future planning. To drill down into the results, IRIS conducted four focus groups on 30 and 31 January 2019 to explore community concerns raised during the survey. The dominant issue was found to be the impact of rapid growth in the area. Participants shared concerns about the possibility of overdevelopment and the associated infrastructure to handle this growth. There were also discussions had about youth engagement and how Council could use online and offline channels to provide more flexibility for younger generations to participate in Council decisions and activities. A full copy of the results of the Community Satisfaction Survey can be found at maitland.nsw.gov.au/communitysurveys
SATISFACTION OVER TIME Very satisfied
5
4
3.6
3.5
3.6
3.5
3.4
3.5
3.5
3
2
Very dissatisfied 1 2011
2012
38 Maitland City Council
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Kerbside garbage, recycling and garden organics collection was the highest performing service with an average satisfaction rating of 4.2 out of 5 and was the best performing waste service out of 14 regional comparable councils.
DAVID GRIGGS, PERCEPTION AND PLACE EXHIBITION OPENING MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY 25 MAY 2019
Annual Report 2018/19 39
SPECIAL RATE VARIATION FIFTH YEAR OF ADDITIONAL RATING FUNDS This financial year is the fifth of Council’s seven year special rate variation, approved by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) in June 2014. Under the approval, Council’s total rates revenue will be increased by 7.25% each year for seven years and ensure the organisation is able to financially sustain service delivery to a growing community. Under the approval, average residential urban rates increased by $108 in 2018/19. Council will use generated funds to enhance services in key areas of community priority and continue to maintain existing services to a fast growing population. Additional funds have been spent on road reconstruction and resurfacing, place activation, sporting facilities, bus shelters, youth spaces and access to the Hunter River over the past five years. A number of major works are planned for completion during the 2019/20 year, including Cessnock Road cycleway, Weblands Street footpath, bus shelters across the city,
conservation works at the Town Hall and refurbishments at the Aquatic Centre. These works either commenced during the 2018/19 year and remained under construction or were approved awaiting works to commence. All these activities were included in the balance of estimates 2018/19. During the year community buildings were enhanced, including access improvements and works on cemetery buildings. Our sporting facilities also benefited from increased funding with improvements at Fieldsend Oval and youth spaces at skate parks including construction of a stake park at Lawes Street East Maitland. Road works including road reconstructions were delivered at Mount Pleasant Street, Maitland; Brunswick Street, East Maitland; South Seas Drive; Ashtonfield; Eurimbla Street, Thornton and ongoing road construction on Woodberry Road, Woodberry. A key condition of IPART’s approval is providing information to the community outlining how funds have been spent. This will be undertaken in a variety of ways, including this Annual Report.
2018/19 Special Rate Variation Income and Expenditure
Category
Road reconstruction & resurfacing
Brought Forward
Total Available 2018/19
Allocation 2018/19
Actual Expenditure 2018/19
Balance 2018/19
1,122,581
1,840,000
2,962,581
2,475,563
487,018
154,633
-
154,633
25,170
129,463
1,903,376
500,000
2,403,376
635,197
1,768,179
Footpath construction
574,670
327,000
901,670
125,668
776,002
Linemarking
120,367
100,000
220,367
220,367
-
-
523,000
523,000
523,000
-
475,000
-
475,000
3,908
471,092
1,117,432
-
1,117,432
646,820
470,612
River access
630,828
-
630,828
74,537
556,291
Place activation
216,246
140,000
356,246
194,245
162,001
33,379
-
33,379
8,643
24,736
6,348,512
3,430,000
9,778,512
4,933,118
4,845,394
Bus shelter improvements Community buildings
Recreation cycleways Sporting facilities Youth spaces
Environmental Initiatives TOTAL
40 Maitland City Council
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT This year Council identified productivity savings of over $630,000 demonstrating a commitment to continuously improve operations and reduce costs. Monies identified through productivity measures are returned to the community through services and infrastructure.
I+10 FRAMEWORK FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Council has a strong record of continuous improvement, strengthened via the embedding of Integrated Planning and Reporting, which has seen a focus on citizen and stakeholder engagement and the delivery of services aligned to community needs. Since 2011 a range of continuous improvement activities have been deployed to ensure Council’s ongoing financial sustainability and the effective and efficient delivery of services aligned to community needs. Council has committed to, and attained, a productivity factor equivalent to $500,000 per annum, an amount that has been exceeded through application of an efficiency dividend at budget loading, combined with operational improvements achieved through changes to processes, technology and equipment. Based on the work undertaken to date, Council has endorsed the I+10 framework that builds from current strengths to provide a consistent, centralised and monitored approach to continuous improvement that supports the ongoing capture and reporting of productivity initiatives. The brand I+10 reflects the identification, innovation, integration and improvement of activities that support the delivery of our community’s strategic plan, Maitland +10.
EFFICIENCY DIVIDEND As with the previous financial year, all departments were subject to an efficiency dividend, being a reduction of 1.32% in allocation to operational expenditure areas, during the 2018/19 budget loading process. A number of budget areas were excluded from the target due to their unique circumstances, including maintenance, domestic waste management, events, and grant funded projects. Managers were tasked with achieving planned actions and projects from within the reduced allocation. Close to $501,055 was quarantined.
GRANT FUNDING Ensuring our infrastructure keeps pace with population growth and social and demographic changes is a priority for Council. The funding of major infrastructure, however, is often beyond the capacity of a single Council, requiring partnerships with other levels of government, the private sector, user groups and the broader community. It is with this in mind that Council has continued its focus on grant funding to deliver key public infrastructure works. During 2018/19 Council was successful in obtaining over $12 million in funding to deliver capital projects including Maitland Regional Sports Hub, Maitland Regional Athletics Centre, Cessnock Road Cycleway and Bakers Brickyard Playground.
CESSNOCK CYCLEWAY STAGE 3 WORKS
Annual Report 2018/19 41
INTERNAL SHARED PLANT POOL
NOTIFICATIONS TO LIBRARY CUSTOMERS
A review of plant usage has resulted in the development of a shared plant pool for internal use. The plant pool enables assessment of external hire rates vs equipment purchase and the extended life of Council owned trucks and utilities which are due for replacement, but in sufficiently good condition to allow retention for a short period longer.
Notifications to Library customers for overdue or reserved items now include a live text link allowing customers to directly access options to renew loans and check availability of reserved items.
The major savings have been from utility and truck usage for a range of truck sizes, with utilisation and condition being continuously reviewed. Similarly external hire information is used to inform decisions on any likely additions to the Shared Plant Pool. The establishment of the shared plant pool has resulted in a saving of $54,867.
RFID TECHNOLOGY Implementation of RFID enabled return systems has made it easier for customers to return items to the Library’s four branches, providing improved options for customers and security for library stock, as well as building on existing RFID functionality and continuing to transform library services through increased choice for customers, efficient management of library collections and more effective use of staffing resources. The RFID enabled return systems include easily accessible external return chutes and internal return shelves at all library branches, expanding access to collections and facilitating ease of transactions. Continuing migration to a self-help environment for customers, streamlining of stock management processes in conjunction with self check technology and interactive directories is delivering positive outcomes for an effective response to significant population growth.
REDUCTION IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION A continuing conversion to LED lighting across the Gallery highlights a commitment to reduce energy consumption and will result in future power savings. Two Gallery spaces were converted during 2018/19, resulting in a 70% conversion of the total Gallery space. LEDs use about 75% less energy than the halogen light bulbs and last 5 to 10 times longer, ultimately reducing expenditure on electricity and replacement costs for light bulbs.
REDUCTION IN PRINTING AND POSTAGE COSTS Gallery communications, including promotion of exhibitions and programs, are moving to digital platforms, reducing printing and postage costs. In 2018/19, over 50% of notifications were sent digitally. The MRAG Members magazine Artel was reviewed to reduce the number of issues produced annually, whilst increasing quality of content. This has also reduced printing and postage costs.
Almost 50% of customers receiving notifications are using this option (2000 customers per month), streamlining library processes through digital technology and making it easier for customers to self-manage their loans, whilst releasing staff resources for program delivery.
MOBILE DATA REVIEW A review of mobile data requirements was undertaken, enabling Council to factor in growth in data access needs. Council is in the second year of realising anticipated savings of around $60,000 over the last two years.
DATA STORAGE REVIEW The storage system used by Council reached the end of its lease period in July 2018. A tender to refresh the storage system was called in February 2018 to replace the ageing equipment. This includes the primary storage system located in the Administration Building, used for Council’s live operations, the other is located at the Metford Works Depot, which is used as a fall back should services be disrupted to the Administration Building for any reason (i.e. fire, flood, electrical services failure). The focus of the primary storage system is on performance rather than capacity, due to the ever increasing requirement for faster information retrieval. As nearly all server based software relies on the data storage system, reduced performance of that system impacts most of Council’s information, communication and technology (ICT) operations. The solution selected uses newer disk technology known as Flash or Solid State drives. These drives have no moving mechanical parts, similar to a USB thumb drive. The newer technology provides a performance increase of over 4500% compared to the traditional hard drives Council previously used. The new flash system also offers additional savings with power draw being reduced by approximately 40% compared to the previous system. The removal of mechanical disk has also reduced the cooling requirements for the communication room.
IMPLEMENTATION OF UNGERBOECK EVENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Ungerboeck software is now being used by the events section for the management of a number of event processes. All stallholders applications are now being distributed and processed online through the system, which enables stallholders to review event information, apply to book their space, upload all relevant insurances, process payments and receive confirmation and bump in information. This has streamlined a number of separate manual process into one system, where all members of the team can access the information in real time. Additionally event run sheets are now being developed through Ungerboeck, which reduces the need to duplicate
42 Governance
a range of information that was being entered manually. Further time efficiencies will be realised through Ungerboeck as we progress with utilising more elements of the software.
ADVERTISING REVIEW As part of an ongoing review of advertising throughout the organisation, an opportunity was identified to bring the full management of Council’s weekly statutory advertising ‘Council News’ in-house. This was implemented late 2017/18 and for 2018/19 has resulted in an annual saving of $11,396.03.
SPONSORSHIP A greater focus on seeking sponsorship and partnerships has seen an additional $9,900 in cash partnership income received for the Maitland Aroma Festival which was held in August, when compared to 2018 partnership income.
PRINTING METHOD By continuing to secure the best industry prices for our printing needs, Council sources three quotes for all print jobs. This has resulted in an annual savings of $9,810.20.
IMPLEMENTATION OF DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Implementation of a digital asset management system, Bynder, has resulted in streamlined access to Council’s digital photo resources, providing a single source of approved images for corporate use.
CONSORTIA AGREEMENT As part of the Memorandum of Understanding between Hunter Libraries, the local Maitland community has increased access to a wider range of digital collections available online from maitlandlibrary.com.au, including eBooks and eAudio. In 2018/19, eComics were included in the arrangement, resulting in increased items for a reduced investment (saving $2,750 in the 2018/19 period).
RECYCLED PRODUCTS Council has demonstrated a willingness to trial alternative materials in its operational works and, if deemed suitable, these products often realise cost savings over the longer term. An example of this is the use of Bio-sand on road works on Brunswick, Eurimbla and Abbot Streets which resulted in a saving of $21 per tonne, or $14,910 across these jobs. With any new trial product, unfortunately current supply availability has not enabled the Bio-sand to become a permanent solution for road works as yet.
INVESTMENT INCOME Council’s budget was prepared on a very conservative basis. Due to prudent investment decision Council’s investment income exceeded expectations by $1,078,724 above original budget.
BORROWING COSTS Borrowing costs were under budget by $89,889 (5.4%). Savings were achieved through delay in current year for drawdowns and rates on new borrowings.
PRODUCTIVITY SAVINGS OVER 2018/19 Initiative
Identified productivity value
Efficiency Dividend
$501,055.00
Internal Shared Plant Pool
$54,867.00
Mobile Data Review
$30,000.00
Implementation of Ungerboeck Event Management Software Advertising Review
$9,900.00 $11,396.03
Printing Method
$9,810.20
Consortia Agreement
$2,750.00
Recycled Products
$14,910.00
Total
$634,688.23
REVENUE SAVINGS OVER 2018/19 Initiative
Identified productivity value
Grant Funding
$12,004,891
Investment Income Borrowing Costs Total
$1,078,724 $89,889 $13,193,504
Annual Report 2018/19 43
CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Council’s key mechanism for carrying out asset management goals is the four year Capital Works Program under the Delivery Program. It is developed to address the long term efficiency and effectiveness of our city’s assets and infrastructure. The capital works program does not include special and major projects such as the Maitland Regional Athletics Centre. 2018/19 Program Areas Access Priority Program
BUILDINGS The building program has been developed from condition assessments and conservation management plans for buildings. The program includes work on the physical structure, fit out, operations, health, safety and security. In 2018/19 Council completed various building upgrades including: •
upgrades to fire systems at Maitland Library, Thornton Library, Visitor Information Centre, Maitland Regional Art Gallery
•
new roof and guttering to Wing B Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland
•
upgrades to air conditioning Depot Administration Building, Metford
•
upgrades to roof Federation Centre, Maitland
•
Rutherford Library carpet renewal
•
new storage building at Metford Oval
•
new storage building at Cooks Square Park, East Maitland
•
upgrade to amenities at Lochinvar Sport Centre
•
upgrade to air conditioning at Visitor Information Centre, Maitland
•
major upgrade to accessible bathroom at Maitland Aquatic Centre including provision of moveable hoist
•
accessible toilets at Lawes Street, East Maitland car park
•
accessible toilets at Bakers Brickyard Playground, Raworth
•
upgrade to roof, concrete cancer repairs and external painting to Robins Oval Grandstand Maitland Park
•
various drainage improvements at Maitland Gaol, East Maitland.
Bridges and Guardrail Improvement Program Buildings Car Park Refurbishment Cycleway and Shared Path Construction Drainage Construction Major Road Reconstruction Road Rehabilitation and Reseal Footpath Construction and Refurbishment Recreation Facilities
ACCESS PRIORITY PROGRAM The access priority program targets physical access inequities throughout the city. The program is developed from the actions recommended in the Access Priority Study and the Central Maitland Pedestrian Access Mobility Plan. In addition to upgrading bus stops and other access priority points all new and refurbished footway and road works include accessibility improvements. In 2018/19 Council upgraded 36 bus stops to comply with disability access standards. Council constructed a new footpath along Lark Street in addition to pram ramps to improve connectivity to bus stop in Woodberry.
BRIDGES AND GUARDRAIL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM The bridge works program is determined from an inspection and testing regime with the goal of minimising structural deterioration and improving the overall condition of the existing bridge stock. Typical activities include major repairs, rehabilitation and replacement of components such as guardrail, girders, joints and decks. In addition, Council’s bridges are gradually being upgraded or replaced when required. New and replacement guardrail works are determined based on an inspection program. Works are prioritised based on road safety and guardrail condition. In 2018/19 Council replaced timber bridge elements on Melville Ford Bridge, undertook repairs to major culverts on Maitland Vale Road and repaired a number of guardrail sections on McFarlanes Road, Berry Park and on bridges in other areas. During 2018/19 Council undertook condition surveys for all its bridges.
44 Governance
CAR PARK REFURBISHMENT The car park refurbishment program is designed to improve the condition of off street carparks to maximise available spaces, minimise deterioration and improve access to nearby facilities. In 2018/19 Council refurbished car parks at Maitland Park, Maitland and the Metford Recreation Reserve. The Central Maitland Car Parking Study was also commenced.
CYCLEWAY AND SHARED PATH CONSTRUCTION This program of works is primarily based on the Maitland Bike Plan (2014). The Plan promotes a hierarchy of trunk, collector and scenic routes. In 2018/19 Council constructed off road shared paths, including a pedestrian bridge over Fishery Creek at Cessnock Road Gilleston Heights and Brunswick Street East Maitland. Council also accepted shared paths and cycleways from subdivision development projects.
DRAINAGE CONSTRUCTION The drainage program is designed to improve drainage systems by the modification, repair and replacement of drainage infrastructure. The works are determined by catchment studies, condition assessments and customer requests. The program also improves environmental issues such as detention and water quality. The program is complemented by routine maintenance and the storm water management charge. In 2018/19 Council completed: •
duplication of a 900 mm drainage line under Highland Way, Bolwarra Heights
•
construction of two overland flow paths at Chidley and Nathan Closes, Metford reducing flooding of private property.
MAJOR ROAD RECONSTRUCTION This program replaces roads where levels of service are low or the asset has reached the end of its life cycle. The allocation includes: •
Roads to Recovery (R2R) - Projects are typically roads of significance and/or of high use
•
Urban Local Roads (ULR) - Projects are typically collector and distributor type roads
•
New Works Urban - other roads categories requiring reconstruction and/or kerb
•
Rural Reconstruction - focus on the rural road network
•
Regional Repair Program - funding aimed at the Regional Road network.
In 2018/19 Council completed major road reconstructions on: •
Brunswick Street, East Maitland
•
Eurimbla Street, Thornton
•
Luskintyre Road, Luskintyre
•
Morpeth Road, East Maitland
•
Page Street, East Maitland.
ROAD REHABILITATION AND RESEAL Council’s Pavement Management System is the primary analysis tool for determining reseal and rehabilitation projects. The reseal and rehabilitation program is important in prolonging the life and level of service of the entire road network, by preventing or reducing natural deterioration. In 2018/19 Council resealed or rehabilitated approximately 26.0 kilometres of road pavement across the city.
FOOTPATH CONSTRUCTION AND REFURBISHMENT Council’s approach to footpath provision is based on risk management and level of service principles. There is a broad range of remediation techniques ranging from new construction, refurbishment to minor adjustments. In 2018/19 Council constructed new footpaths at: •
Kookaburra Parade, Woodberry
•
Lindesay Street, East Maitland
•
South Seas drive, Ashtonfield
•
Galway Bay Drive, Ashtonfield
Council also accepted approximately 10 kilometres of footpaths from subdivision development projects. Council rehabilitated footpath segments at: •
Lawes Street, East Maitland
•
High Street, East Maitland
•
Church Street, Maitland
•
Belmore Road, Lorn
•
Hunter Street, Maitland
•
Robert Street, Morpeth.
RECREATION FACILITIES Recreation capital works include major repairs, rehabilitation or replacement of recreation facilities and supporting infrastructure. Project areas include playground equipment, fencing, floodlights, amenities and playing surfaces. In 2018/19 Council completed the following: •
shade provision maintenance across the Maitland area
•
skate park and multi purpose court at Lawes Street Reserve, East Maitland
•
multi purpose courts at Norm Chapman Oval, Rutherford and Redwood Drive, Gillieston Heights
•
fencing construction at A&D Lawrence Oval, Thornton; Ernie Jurd Oval, Largs; Morpeth Training Oval and Baker’s Brickyard Playground Dog Park, Raworth
•
floodlighting using new LED technology at Maitland Park Netball Courts and the Tenambit BMX Park
•
car park, shade, amenities, barbeque and seating provision at Baker’s Brickyard Playground, Raworth
•
playground resurfacing at Spotted Gum Park, Aberglasslyn.
Annual Report 2018/19 45
STATUTORY REPORTING The Condition of Public Works........................................................................................................................................46-52 State of the Environment ...................................................................................................................................................53 Councillor Expenses...............................................................................................................................................................54 Overseas Visits........................................................................................................................................................................54 Business Activities..................................................................................................................................................................54 Legal Expenses.......................................................................................................................................................................55 Rates and Charges Written off...........................................................................................................................................55 Senior Staff Remuneration....................................................................................................................................................55 Contracts Awarded................................................................................................................................................................56 Stormwater Management Services.......................................................................................................................................57 Swimming Pool Inspections..................................................................................................................................................57 Bushfire Hazard Reduction Activities..................................................................................................................................58 Equal Employment Opportunity Management Plan....................................................................................................59-62 Disability Inclusion Action Plan.......................................................................................................................................63-65 Section 356 Community Grants......................................................................................................................................66-67 Section 356 Sports and Arts Grants................................................................................................................................68-71 External Bodies.......................................................................................................................................................................72 Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979...............................................................................................................72 Corporations, Partnerships, Trusts & Joint Ventures.........................................................................................................73 Controlling Interest................................................................................................................................................................73 Private Works Resolution.....................................................................................................................................................73 Code of Conduct.....................................................................................................................................................................74 Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act.............................................................................................................74 Public Interest Disclosures...................................................................................................................................................74 Government Information Public Access (GIPA) ................................................................................................................74 Obligations under the GIPA Act 2009..............................................................................................................................75-78 Companion Animals Act 1998...............................................................................................................................................79
46 Governance
THE RIVERLINK BUILDING THE LEVEE CENTRAL MAITLAND
Annual Report 2018/19 47
CONDITION OF PUBLIC WORKS Council is custodian to infrastructure that is vitally important to the community. This section describes the current status of public assets owned by Council and is based on the information found in Special Schedule 7 of the audited financial statement. Over the last ten years Maitland has continued to experience solid population growth rates. The current growth rate is one of the highest of all NSW local government areas. To manage public assets, Council has adopted an Asset Management Policy and Strategy, with associated Asset Management Plans. These documents inform the Long Term Financial Plan that sets the funding levels over the next ten years for renewal and maintenance works. Council’s approach is to fund natural asset consumption or deterioration with the aim to gradually improve the overall network/portfolio condition over time, while balancing risk and level of service. The scale of condition assessment throughout the Asset Management Plans is based on a five category model: Condition 1 - Excellent, near perfect condition Condition 2 - Good, superficial deterioration Condition 3 - Fair, some deterioration requiring maintenance Condition 4 - Poor, advanced deterioration requiring high maintenance Condition 5 - Very Poor, significant deterioration requiring substantial maintenance.
BRIDGES Council is currently the custodian of 60 bridges and major culverts in excess of six metres in length. Of these, two are timber, 14 are concrete, and one is steel/concrete composite. There are 43 culverts (pipe/box). Melville Ford Bridge is a single lane timber bridge and renewal of its decking is planned for the 2019/20 financial year. Routine bridge and culvert inspections identified that the major culverts under Maitland Vale Road requiring significant work, and rehabilitation of these culverts will be included in the next four year Delivery Plan. Mount Dee Bridge has been strengthened and is regularly monitored for signs of deterioration. While overall the bridges in the city are in good condition, certain components will require renewal, especially on timber and older bridges. Works are determined by regular inspections and testing. The following estimates are based on both broad observation and formal inspections. (Note: A full survey of all Council’s Bridges was completed in 2018/19). The estimated value of bridge assets at 30 June 2019: Asset
Current Replacement Value
Current Written Down Value
$48,139,000
$38,341,000
Bridges
Asset – Estimates to bring bridges to condition 2 and condition 3, respectively: Asset
Cost to bring to satisfactory condition (condition 2)
Cost to bring agreed condition (condition 3)
$2,150,000
$321,000
Bridges Capital Works
The estimate of works required to bring bridge assets up to satisfactory standard is $2.15 million based on lifting from condition 3, 4 and 5 to level 2. The estimate of works required to bring bridge assets up to agreed service level condition is $321,000 based on lifting from condition 4 and 5 to level 3 as set by Council. Routine Maintenance The estimated annual maintenance cost to ensure the bridges reach their design life is $121,000. The actual expenditure on maintenance for bridges in 2018/19 was $59,257. Asset All bridges
48 Governance
Excellent 1
Good 2
Average 3
Poor 4
Very Poor 5
72.8%
17.8%
5.6%
3.8%
0.0%
MELVILLE FORD BRIDGE
DRAINAGE Drainage assets generally consist of pipes, pits and devices that convey, clean and hold stormwater. Many of these assets are underground and not readily seen by the public, but nonetheless are very important community assets. The “consumption” of these assets is also difficult to ascertain and Council has adopted a conservative approach, understanding that the need for replacement will occur beyond Council’s current Long Term Financial Plan. A broad estimate of the overall condition of the existing drainage network would place 15% of the system at or past the design useful life, and approximately 50% in fair to good condition. However, significant proportions of the city developed prior to 1975 do not have drainage installed to meet current standards and specific local drainage problems do exist. Much of the capital works program is aimed at addressing these problems. The assessed value of the drainage system at 30 June 2019: Description
Quantity
Current Replacement Value
Current Written Down Value
390 kilometres
$139,178,000
$112,726,220
16,358
$28,625,000
$23,426,700
43
$439,000
$317,630
Detention Basins/Ponds
142
$51,371,000
$47,518,220
Gross Pollutant Traps
136
$12,513 ,000
$11,484,840
1
$869,000
$798,390
$232,995,000
$196,272,000
Conduits & Culverts Pits & Headwalls Flood gates
Pump Station TOTAL
Annual Report 2018/19 49
Asset – Estimates to bring stormwater drainage to condition 2 and condition 3, respectively: Asset
Cost to bring to satisfactory condition (condition 2)
Cost to bring agreed condition (condition 3)
$9,563,000
$4,128,000
Stormwater Drainage
Recurrent surveys, including in line CCTV surveys, and data are required to refine the level of accuracy of information on the condition of the drainage assets. Capital Works The estimate of works required to bring stormwater drainage up to satisfactory standard is $9.56 million based on lifting from condition 3, 4 and 5 to level 2. The estimate of works required to bring stormwater drainage up to agreed service level condition is $4.1 million based on lifting from condition 4 and 5 to level 3 as set by Council. Routine Maintenance The estimated annual maintenance cost to ensure the drainage assets reach their design life is $805,000. The actual expenditure on maintenance for drainage in 2018/19 was $921,000. Asset
Excellent 1
Good 2
Average 3
Poor 4
Very Poor 5
49.0%
44.3%
4.8%
0.9%
1.0%
All drainage assets
LOCAL ROADS Council’s Pavement Management System (PMS) is used to calculate the current replacement cost of the road network. The current written down value of the assets is determined by age based depreciation and adjusted by observed condition information. The condition of the road pavement network is derived from the PMS road deterioration model. Estimates of local and regional road valuation as at 30 June, 2019 Asset
Current Replacement Value
Current Written Down Value
$589,054,000
$438,933,000
All roads
Council’s total Local Road network of 716 kilometres comprises of 664 kilometres of sealed local roads, 32 kilometres of regional roads and 20 kilometres of unsealed roads (excluding the State and National Highway). Deterioration modelling of the sealed road network is done using the SMEC – PMS. The model categorises the roads in terms of a general measure of the pavement health called the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), in the following way: Condition 1 - Excellent, near perfect condition (10 PCI) Condition 2 – Good, superficial deterioration Condition 3 – Fair, some deterioration requiring maintenance (5 PCI) Condition 4 – Poor, advanced deterioration requiring high maintenance Condition 5 - Very poor, significant deterioration requiring substantial maintenance Asset – Estimates to bring the road network to condition 2 and condition 3 respectively: Asset Road Pavement
Cost to bring to satisfactory condition (condition 2)
Cost to bring to Agreed condition (condition 3)
$49,370,000
$6,803,000
Capital Works The estimate of works required to bring road pavement assets up to satisfactory condition is $49.4 million based on lifting from condition 3, 4 and 5 to level 2. The estimate of works required to bring road pavement assets up to agreed service level condition is $6.8 million based on lifting from condition 4 and 5 to level 3 as set by Council. Routine Maintenance The estimated annual maintenance cost to ensure the road pavement reaches their design life is $3.5 million. The actual expenditure on maintenance for road pavement in 2018/19 was $2.925 million.
50 Governance
Condition Status of Maitland Council’s Local Roads as percentage of network in each condition band. Asset
Excellent 1
Good 2
Average 3
Poor 4
Very Poor 5
15.1%
29.6%
42.4%
11.6%
1.3%
All roads
OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION Council provides the community with pleasant, safe and fit for purpose recreation facilities and aims to promote consistency in maintenance and renewal of these assets. Assets include: • Fixed assets located within areas of passive recreation use (parks) • Fixed assets located within areas of active recreation use (sportsgrounds) • Fixed Assets located within areas of paved sports surfaces (tennis, netball and basketball etc) • Internal park roads and sportsground car parks • Open space areas dedicated to passive recreation, i.e. parks, reserves and bushland • Open space areas dedicated to active recreation, i.e. sportsgrounds. Estimates of open space and recreation valuation as at 30 June, 2019 Asset
Current Replacement Value
Current Written Down Value
$54,858,000
$23,940,000
Recreation Council manages the following building assets: Asset category
Quantity
Open space areas passive recreation parks, reserves and bushland
326 hectares
Open space areas dedicated to active recreation, i.e. sport
118 hectares
Fixed assets located within areas of passive recreation use (parks)
83 playgrounds 2 pools centres 7 skate parks 44 shade structures 15 public barbeques Numerous Items of park furniture Signage Park fencing Park lights
Fixed assets located within sportsgrounds
1 baseball facility Sportsground floodlighting, 164 poles, 559 lights Sportsground fencing Cricket wickets & practice nets Other sportsground assets
Paved surface sports facilities
36 netball courts Tennis courts 1 hockey facility
Internal park roads and Sportsground car parks
32,000 m2 park roads (approx. 5.3 kilometres) 38,000 m2 car parking
Annual Report 2018/19 51
Asset – Estimates to bring open space and recreation to condition 2 and condition 3 respectively: Asset
Cost to bring to satisfactory condition (condition 2)
Cost to bring to agreed condition (condition 3)
$7,809,000
$2,666,000
Other open space and recreation assets Capital Works
The estimate of works required to bring recreational assets up to a satisfactory standard is $7.8 million based on lifting from condition 3, 4 and 5 to level 2. The estimate of works required to bring recreational assets up to agreed service level condition is $2.7 million based on lifting from condition 4 and 5 to level 3 as set by Council. Routine Maintenance The estimated annual maintenance cost to ensure the recreational assets reach their design life is $1.16 million. The actual expenditure on maintenance for recreational assets in 2018/19 was $4.51 million. (Note: actual maintenance expenditure included operational expenditure not related to asset maintenance). Condition of Open Space and Recreation Assets Asset Class
Assets Condition as a % Excellent 1
Good 2
Average 3
Poor 4
Very Poor 5
39.2%
26.4%
18.5%
13.9%
2.0%
All recreation assets
PUBLIC BUILDINGS Council’s building assets are generally structurally sound, do not have known defects that are likely to constitute a major hazard for any users, and are generally adequate for their intended purpose. However, it is recognised that some buildings require improvement to meet the other criteria of being fit for intended purpose. Conservation management plans have been completed for several major buildings that will direct future works programs. Council’s public building assets were subject to revaluation during the year. Information on the condition of public works for this asset class will be provided in Special Schedule 7 of the audited financial statements. Estimates of Public Buildings asset valuation as at 30 June, 2019 Asset All public building assets
Current Replacement Value
Current Written Down Value
$148,913,000
$76,496,000
Council manages the following building assets: Asset Category
Description
District Buildings
Council’s five district buildings are located at (and built): Administration Building (1983), Art Gallery (1910 -2009), Morpeth Court House Museum (1862), Town Hall (1889) and Visitors Centre (1997)
Libraries
Council’s four libraries are located at (and built): Maitland (1968), Thornton (1999), East Maitland (2004) and Rutherford (2003)
Child Care Centres
Council’s four child care centres are located at (and built): Metford (1984), Thornton (1987), Rutherford (1987) and East Maitland (1998)
Community Halls
Council’s 13 community halls/centres are spread across the Local Government Area
Amenities Buildings
Council’s 34 amenities buildings are located in various parks and ovals throughout the Local Government Area
Toilet Blocks
Council’s 23 public toilet blocks are located in various parks and ovals throughout the Local Government Area
Grandstands
Council’s nine grandstands are located in various parks and ovals throughout the Local Government Area. The grandstands are generally associated with local sports clubs and some have toilets, change/meeting rooms, and storerooms
Kiosks
Council’s 12 kiosks are located in various parks and ovals throughout the Local Government Area. The kiosks are generally associated with local sports clubs and have kitchen and storage facilities
Aquatic Buildings
Building stock at the Aquatic Centres (East Maitland & Maitland)
Equipment Sheds
Council’s 24 equipment sheds are located in various parks and ovals throughout the Local Government Area. The equipment sheds are generally associated with local sports clubs
52 Governance
FOOTPATH CONSTRUCTION SOUTH SEAS DRIVE, ASHTONFIELD
Asset – Estimates to bring public buildings to condition 2 and condition 3 respectively: Asset
Cost to bring to satisfactory condition (condition 2)
Cost to bring to agreed condition (condition 3)
$ 22,039,000
$3,276,000
All public building assets Capital Works
The estimate of works required to bring recreational assets up to a satisfactory standard is $22 million based on lifting from condition 3, 4 and 5 to level 2. The estimate of works required to bring recreational assets up to agreed service level condition is $3.3 million based on lifting from condition 4 and 5 to level 3 as set by Council. Routine Maintenance The estimated annual maintenance cost to ensure the recreational assets reach their design life is $1.18 million. The actual expenditure on maintenance for recreational assets in 2018/19 was $1.20 million. Condition of Public Building Assets Asset Class All Buildings
Assets Condition as a % Excellent 1
Good 2
Average 3
Poor 4
Very Poor 5
21.0%
16.0%
52.0%
11.0%
0.0%
Annual Report 2018/19 53
ROADSIDE INVENTORY ASSETS The largest roadside assets on the network are: •
Footpaths/Cycleway (289 kilometres)
•
Kerb and gutter (903 kilometres)
•
Bus shelters, signs, lines and associated delineation
The table below shows the total financial status of these assets. Inventory Assets - Financial Status 2018/19 Asset
Current Replacement Value
Current Written Down Value
Kerb and Gutter
$117,261,000
$80,181,000
Footpath/Cycleway
$107,115,000
$77,830,000
$4,203,000
$2,665,000
$12,034
$10,755
Road Inventory Roundabouts
Asset – Estimates to bring roadside inventory and footpath/cycleway assets to condition 2 and condition 3, respectively: Cost to bring to satisfactory condition (condition 2)
Cost to bring to agreed condition (condition 3)
Kerb and Gutter
$8,159,000
$1,087,000
Footpath/Cycle
$9,132,000
$1,413,000
$573,000
$151,000
$67
$67
$17,864,000
$2,651,000
Asset
Roadside Inventory Roundabouts TOTAL Capital Works
The estimate of works required to bring kerb and gutter, footpath/cycleways and road inventory up to satisfactory condition is $17.93 million based on lifting from condition 3, 4 and 5 to level 2. The estimate of works required to bring road inventory and footpath assets up to agreed service level condition is $2.72 million based on lifting from condition 4 and 5 to level 3 as set by Council. Routine Maintenance The estimated annual maintenance cost to ensure the road inventory and footpath assets reach their design life is $1.2 million. The actual expenditure for roadside inventory assets in 2018/19 was $1.63 million.
ASSET COST SUMMARY The asset costs are summarised in the table below. Asset – Total Estimates to bring all of the reported assets to condition 2 and condition 3 respectively: Cost to bring to satisfactory condition (condition 2)
Cost to bring to agreed condition (condition 3)
Cost of Annual Maintenance
Buildings
$22,039,000
$3,276,000
$1,201,000
Road Pavement
$49,370,000
$6,803,000
$2,924,000
Kerb and Gutter
$8,159,000
$1,087,000
$613,000
$573,000
$151,000
$195,000
$9,131,000
$1,413,000
$760,000
Asset
Road Side Inventory Footpath/Cycle Bridges
$2,150,000
$321,000
$59,000
Stormwater Drainage
$9,563,000
$4,128,000
$921,000
Recreation
$7,809,000
$2,666,000
$4,506,100
$67,000
$67,000
-
$108,861,000
$19,912,000
$11,179,100
Roundabouts TOTAL
NB: Acquatic Centres/Buildings - refer to Special Schedule 7 of the audited financial statements.
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PAGE STREET ROADWORKS EAST MAITLAND
Annual Report 2018/19 55
COUNCILLOR EXPENSES The total amount of money expended on Mayoral fees and Councillor fees and the total amount of money expended during the year on the provision of and payments for such facilities comprised the following: Item
2018/19
Mayoral allowance (excluding Councillor fee) Councillors' fees
$42,358 $256,872
Delegates Expenses
$0
Councillors' expenses (General)
$35,336
Mayoral expenses
$23,591
Travel allowance
$1,812
Telephone & internet expenses
$11,666
Attendance of Councillors at conferences and seminars
$11,152
Expenses of any spouse, partner or other person who accompanied a Councillor Expenses – care of child or an immediate family member of a Councillor TOTAL
$0 $1,226 $384,013
Council’s Councillor Expenses & Facilities Policy was adopted on 27 November 2018. The objectives of the policy are to comply with the provisions of Section 252 of the Local Government Act 1993 and provide for the payment of expenses incurred or to be incurred by and the provision of facilities to the Mayor and Councillors in relation to discharging the functions of civic office.
OVERSEAS VISITS Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 There were no overseas visits undertaken in 2018/19 by Councillors, council staff or other persons representing Maitland City Council.
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES In accordance with ‘Pricing & Costing for Council Businesses: A Guide to Competitive Neutrality’ Council has declared that the following are to be considered business activities: Category 1 Not applicable Category 2 Name
Brief Description of Activity
Established to improve the quality and efficiency of local government services in the Council’s share in Strategic Hunter Region. Services include procurement, legal services, training, environmental and Services Australia Limited (formerly Hunter Councils Limited) other services. Strategic Services Australia Limited (formerly Hunter Councils Limited) was established in January 2003 after receiving Ministers consent, pursuant to Section 358(1)(a) of the Local Government Act, 1993. During 2018/19 Council did not receive any competitive neutrality complaints.
56 Governance
LEGAL EXPENSES Legal proceedings undertaken during 2018/19 comprised: Item
Status
Debt Recovery
Completed
2018/19 $211,416
Industrial Relations - Sundry
Completed
Development Control – Appeals
Ongoing
$54,653
Development Control – Other
Completed
$17,462
Land Claims
Completed
Property Coordination
On going
$10,133
Other
Completed
$22,305
TOTAL
$1,889
$0
$317,858
RATES & CHARGES WRITTEN OFF Rates and charges written off (including rates reduced or waived for pensioners) during the 2018/19 period comprised: Rate of Charge Pensioner abandonments Other abandonments Sub total Less: Pensioner rate subsidies Net Rates and Charges Written Off
2018/19 $1,259,781 $0 $1,259,781 $(697,291) $532,490
SENIOR STAFF REMUNERATION The total remuneration package of the General Manager for the reporting period 2018/19 was $442,997. This figure includes the salary component of the package, all superannuation contributions (including salary sacrifice) and if applicable, the total of any bonus payments, performance payments or other payments, non cash benefits and any fringe benefits tax payable. During the period Maitland City Council employed four Senior Staff, not including the General Manager, being the Group Managers of Infrastructure and Works, Planning Environment and Lifestyle, and Strategy, Performance and Business Systems, and the Executive Manager Strategic Projects. The total amount of money payable with respect to the employment of senior staff for the reporting period 2018/19 was $1,124,549. This figure includes the total of all salaries and superannuation contributions (including salary sacrifice). If applicable, the total also includes bonus payments, performance payments or other payments, non cash benefits and fringe benefits tax payable.
POST OFFICE AT THE LEVEE
Annual Report 2018/19 57
CONTRACTS AWARDED AT 2018/19 (OVER $150,000) Under Section 217(1)(a2) of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005 the following are all the contracts awarded by the City during 2018/19 (whether as a result of tender or otherwise), other than: (i) employment contracts (that is, contracts of service but not contracts for services) (ii) contracts for less than $150,000 (including the name of the contractor and the nature of the goods or services supplied by the contractor and the total amount payable to the contractor under the contract). Tender Amount $
Contractor
Nature of Goods / Services
Griffin Property Maintenance Pty Ltd
Provision of cleaning services for Council’s community buildings and operations building
$224,892.84
Danste Civil Pty Ltd
Footpath construction at South Seas Drive, Ashtonfield (New England Highway to Adele Crescent); South Seas Drive, Ashtonfield (Airlie Street to Shamrock Hill Daycare); Lindesay Street, East Maitland (Rolleston Street to King Street)
$319,642.95
Evergreen Turf NSW
Undertake the playing surface renewal works at Fieldsend Oval, Metford
$192,720.00
VGT Laboratories Pty Ltd
Environmental Monitoring of Mt Vincent Waste Facility as per EPL 6116, East Maitland Gasworks and Former Anambah Landfill
$166,620.00
Kentan Machinery Pty Ltd
Supply of three Kubota M100GX tractors, accept trade on two New Holland tractors for one T5040 and one T6010 tractors
$194,709.10
KCE Pty Ltd
Construction of civil early works at the Maitland Regional Athletics Complex
$974,930.77
REES Electrical
Installation of LED floodlight upgrades at Beryl Humble Sports Complex BMX Track, Tenambit and Maitland Netball Courts
$429,165.00
Bolla Contracting Pty Ltd
Construction of car parks at Bakers Brickyard Playground, Metford Recreation Reserve and Denman Street
$548,709.76
Waeger Constructions Pty Ltd
Design and construction of 30 metre cycleway bridge over Fishery Creek at Cessnock Road Maitland
$580,800.00
Stabilised Pavements of Australia Pty Ltd
Insitu pavement stabilisation of eleven locations within the Maitland Local Government Area
KCE Pty Ltd
Construction of Stage 1 of the Cessnock Road cycleway
$298,650.00
Komatsu Australia Pty Ltd
Supply of Komatsu WA 150-5 front end loader
$212,745.00
Newcastle Commercial Vehicles Pty Ltd
Supply of two Iveco Acco cab chassis with Superior Pack compaction bodies
$732,582.58
WORKS PROGRESS MAITLAND REGIONAL ATHLETICS CENTRE
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$1,017,883.55
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SERVICE Council introduced an annual charge for stormwater management services during 2006/07. The proposed works and actual income and expenditure for 2018/19 were as follows:
Urban Drainage Works Type
As Proposed in Operational Plan 2018/19
Actual Income Received 2018/19
Carry over from 2018/19
Total Income Available 2018/19
Actual Expenditure 2018/19
MAINTENANCE WORKS $160,000
$166,206
$0
$166,206
$344,258
Pits & Headwalls
Conduits & Culverts
$50,000
$51,939
$0
$,51,939
$547,534
Maitland City Council Flood Gates
$45,000
$46,745
$0
$46,745
$0
Detention Basins
$165,000
$175,400
$0
$175,400
$3,380
Gross Pollutant Traps / Trash
$225,000
$233,727
$0
$233,727
$25,394
$5,000
$5,194
$0
$5,194
$0
Constructed wetlands
$100,000
$103,879
$0
$103,879
$0
Maintenance Works Total
$750,000
$783,090
$0
$783,090
$920,566
Urban Drainage Structures Modifications
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
Capital Works Total
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$750,000
$783,090
$0
$783,090
$920,566
Natural Creeks
CAPITAL WORKS
GRAND TOTAL Variation in Income
Proposed stormwater management charges for 2018/19 were prepared in the initial stages of the budgeting process which were later revised. Hence the reason for variation between the proposed charges and the actual income received in 2018/19. Variation in Expenditure In 2018/19 an amount of $920,566 was expended.
SWIMMING POOL INSPECTIONS Under section 428 of the Local Government Act 1993, Council is to include the following: Swimming pool regulations
Number of inspections
Inspections of tourist and visitor accommodation
4
Inspections of premises on which there are more than two dwellings
0
Resulted in council issuing: A certificate of compliance under section 22D of the Swimming Pool Act 1992
115
A certificate of non-compliance under clause 21 of the Swimming Pools Regulation 2008
114
Annual Report 2018/19 59
BUSHFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION ACTIVITIES The NSW Rural Fire Service Lower Hunter District manages the six Rural Fire Brigades of the Maitland Local Government Area which cover the rural part of the Maitland. The six brigades responded to 170 incidents during the year.
Woodlands Drive Thornton is the only fire trail to be maintained in Maitland. Grading of the track surface, reshaping table drains and vegetation control adjacent to the track was undertaken in 2017/18 as part of its annual maintenance.
During the year the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has completed the following:
Council carried out over 400 kilometres of roadside slashing.
• Hazard reduction mechanical – 8.6 ha
Council also undertook approximately 12 hectares of asset protection zones (slashing to bushfire prone land that normally requires the implementation of a setback distance).
• Hazard reduction burning carried out by RFS – 0 • Private burns assisted by the RFS - 5 • Bush burnt through wildfires - 71.41 ha • Permits issued – 49
Emergency Plans
• Complaints – 4
The Lower Hunter Bushfire Risk Management Plan (Maitland, Cessnock, Port Stephens and Dungog local government areas) is currently under review, as part of the next generation Bushfire Management Planning. The pilot program is expected to be completed in 2019.
• AIDER program (Assist Infirm, Disabled and Elderly Residents) prepare properties for bush fire - 0
Maitland Local Government Area Bushfire Prone Land
LEGEND Bush Fire Prone land - Vegetation Category 1 with 100m buffer (RFS Certified 27-03-06)
Waterways
Bush Fire Prone land - Vegetation Category 2 1 with 30m buffer (RFS Certified 27-03-06)
Railway
60 Governance
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT PLAN At Maitland City Council we recognise that ensuring equity in our employment practices is essential for developing a diverse workforce and attracting and retaining talented employees. The objective of the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Management Plan is to ensure our policies, procedures and actions reflect and value the social and cultural diversity within Maitland City Council and the community we serve. Council is committed to providing a working environment which is safe and rewarding. By successfully drawing from our workforce’s diverse experiences and skills the Council is better equipped to fulfil our business requirements.
OBJECTIVES To ensure Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) principles are promoted and practiced throughout the organisation. Council aims to achieve this by: •
Creating a working environment where employees are treated fairly, with dignity and respect
•
Providing a safe work environment for all employees
•
Reviewing all policies and protocols to ensure they are consistent with legislative requirements
•
Diversity encompasses a broad range of factors including but not limited to gender, age, race, linguistic, disability and cultural or socio economic background. To ensure we provide an environment that is all encompassing, we will continually review and adapt work practices.
Ensuring that workplace structures, conditions, systems and procedures, foster diversity and provide opportunities for employees to balance work and personal life
•
Promoting awareness of the value of diversity.
Encouraging diversity means recognising and respecting the value of human differences and creating an environment where all of our employees can utilise their abilities and experiences to the fullest extent.
Workplace EEO is everyone’s responsibility
Workplace Diversity is everyone’s responsibility and we encourage all staff to work together to implement the EEO Management Plan. In 2018/19 the EEO Management Plan was reviewed and developed for 2018-2021. Nine new EEO Contact Officers were brought on board making a total of 16 EEO Contact Officers covering most Council areas.
In addition, the EEO Management Plan supports the delivery of the Workforce Management Plan and Disability Inclusion Action Plan where relevant to EEO.
Everyone has a responsibility to understand, promote and uphold the principles of EEO in the workplace. •
Treat each other as you want to be treated
•
Report any unacceptable behaviours that are in breach of EEO policies and protocols
•
Display and uphold EEO practices and create a positive culture throughout the workplace
•
Demonstrate a commitment to EEO and support the objectives set out in the EEO Management Plan
•
Develop, review and uphold all EEO policies, plans, protocols and training
•
Ensure new employees are inducted on EEO
•
Participate in any EEO training provided by Council.
EEO Action Plan To ensure Maitland City Council actively recognise and uphold EEO across the organisation, four focus areas have been identified which include: •
Communication and Awareness
•
Recruitment
•
Talent Development
•
Workplace Culture.
Annual Report 2018/19 61
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT PLAN CONTINUED ACTION 1 Communication and Awareness Actions/ Strategies
Responsible
Timeframe
Examples
Corporate induction is reviewed to ensure new employees understand EEO, what is and isn’t acceptable and where to go if they are experiencing or witnessing any unacceptable treatment or behaviour
Human Resources
December 2018
New employees invited to induction within first month. Induction content reviewed regularly to ensure up to date
Ensure policies related to EEO are regularly reviewed and communicated throughout the organisation to ensure staff awareness
Human Resources and Managers
Ongoing
EAP Protocol updated, Equity, Diversity & Respect Policy reviewed
Regular communication and promotion of equity, diversity and respect principles for example emails and visual aids to enhance awareness
EEO committee
Quarterly
Emails were sent to all staff promoting availability of minutes
Ensure EEO meetings are known to staff, a representative from the management team is present and meeting minutes available via the intranet
EEO committee
Quarterly
Managers were invited to EEO meetings and minutes were placed on noticeboards and the intranet
Promote national theme days to ensure regular communication and awareness
EEO committee
Quarterly
Theme days were celebrated eg Seniors Week, Mental Health Month, R U OK Day
62 Governance
ACTION 2 Recruitment Actions/ Strategies
Responsible
Timeframe
Examples
Review role charter with every vacancy to ensure there are no barriers to employment
Managers and Human Resources
Ongoing
Reviewed each time
Aim to advertise positions on a wide range of forums to reach and attract a broader range of applicants from diverse backgrounds
Human Resources
Ongoing
Advertised on SEEK and via internal email and Outdoor noticeboard
Ensure that staff involved in the selection process are trained in merit based selection
Human Resources
Ongoing
Staff trained in recruitment process
Offer job application support for employees
Human Resources and Managers
Ongoing
Support for employees on a one on one basis is regularly carried out upon request
Carry out probation review meetings and incorporate the opportunity to identify the presence of any issues in relation to EEO matters
Managers
Ongoing
Probation reviews carried out at 6 weeks and 3 months
WALKA WATER WORKS OAKHAMPTON
Annual Report 2018/19 63
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT PLAN CONTINUED ACTION 3: Talent Development Actions/ Strategies
Responsible
Timeframe
Timeframe
Promote the training opportunities and encourage relevant training to create a more skilled workforce and greater opportunity for career progression
Human Resources and Managers
Annually
Study assistance, regulatory training carried out throughout year
Develop and implement strategies to measure and improve, if required, access to development opportunities for EEO groups
EEO committee, Human Resources, Managers
2021
Ensure new and existing EEO Contact Officers receive up to date training, development and education relevant to their role to maintain consistency with legislation and provide a better service to employees
EEO committee, Managers and Human Resources
Review annually scheduled for July 2019
EEO contact officer training was carried out on 3 September 2019 for new and existing officers
Ensure new and existing employees complete updated training in relation to EEO, bullying and harassment
Human Resources
2019/20
Carried out at induction
Actions/ Strategies
Responsible
Timeframe
Timeframe
Monitor reasons for resignations to ensure they are not due to EEO and harassment issues
Human Resources
Ongoing
Exit questionnaire sent to exiting employees and one-on-one exit interviews offered and held prior to exit
Review staff engagement survey results with regards to EEO
Human Resources
2019
Group/ departmental results reviewed
Encourage feedback from all staff to create a collaborative and inclusive working environment
Managers, Coordinators and Team Leaders
Ongoing
Staff survey carried out 2019
Review and communicate EEO policy to all employees
Human Resources, Managers
As reviewed
Equity, Diversity & Respect Policy reviewed
Ensure successful implementation of the EEO Management Plan by the EEO committee
EEO Committee, Human Resources, Managers
Ongoing
EEO Management plan is reviewed at each EEO meeting
ACTION 4: Workplace Culture
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DISABILITY INCLUSION ACTION PLAN IN REVIEW ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURS Council has worked in partnership with various service providers to encourage and support initiatives that promote inclusion awareness in the LGA. There were 14 initiatives encouraged or delivered, including:
•
continued offering of the Including You Event Tent at Maitland’s many flagship events to ensure all community members feel included by offering a range of aids for use at the events such as noise-cancelling headphones, small tepees with sensory tools and wheelchairs
•
providing administrative support and guidance on local area priorities to applicants of Community Grants, ClubGRANTS, and Youth Week grants. Each year, Council advocates for projects to be funded that meet local area priorities including initiatives that support social participation for people with disability
•
coordination and review of the Aged Persons, Younger Persons with a Disability and Carers forum, a regular forum for service providers, stakeholders, and citizens.
LIVEABLE COMMUNITIES
Maitland Regional Art Gallery also,
•
provides ongoing support of INSIDE OUT - an inclusive group of artists who live or work in and around the Maitland region. The group was born out of Octapod’s professional development program supported by Accessible Arts and Ability Links NSW
•
developed Sensational Sensory Art Trail as part of Hunter Red exhibitions across the art gallery to provide a sensory of interpretation of selected artworks especially for people who benefit from diverse types of engagement. This program continued until August 2018.
•
reported a 70% increase in participation in Journeys Creative Connections monthly workshops for adults with a lived mental health experience. Workshops are delivered in partnership with Flourish Australia and Aftercare, both NDIS agencies, and are facilitated by health workers and professional artists to extend professional skills, build resilience and confidence in a public art gallery environment.
•
continued very successful Conversations: Art & Dementia with up to 60 separate free sessions presented across 2018/19. The program intention is to improve well-being and quality of life for people living with memory loss and their carers through engagement with the visual arts and sensory experiences.
•
continued discussions with Ability Links and Accessible Arts on other initiatives to increase inclusion for all gallery events and programs.
Public facilities Works have now been completed to update accessible facilities and amenities at Maitland Aquatics Centre including the provision of a mobile sling hoist, mobile shower trolley/change table, and the indoor pool sling hoist has been upgraded to support patrons with complex disabilities access the indoor pool. The existing Unisex Accessible amenities have also been updated to meet current Australian Standards. These resources will be available at all times for pool patrons. Council has now provided accessible slab boarding points to 82% of eligible bus stops, and Tactical Ground Surface Indicators (TGSIs) to 61% of eligible bus stops. Works are on track to achieve 100% standardisation by the end of 2022. New accessible amenities are now also available at the Lawes Street Shopping Precinct in East Maitland. Maitland Regional Art Gallery Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) has continued to support access and inclusion initiatives by encouraging inclusive exhibition openings and events through provision of Auslan interpretation at four MRAG Openings and on request at one MRAG workshop, accessible seating and quiet space. The Art Gallery stocks a range of artful sensory products, proving invaluable for teachers and parents to support learning and anxiety both in the classroom and in the home. MRAG also provides sensory processing assistance bags to visitors located at two locations in the art gallery to pick up if needed, as well as a wheelchair for gallery patrons.
Throughout 2018/19, Council and Accessible Arts further improved accessibility and opportunities for artists with a disability. A key outcome from this collaboration has been the planning of a behind the scenes tour for a member of the public of the Art Gallery collection, with MRAG paying for an Auslan interpreter. Library Maitland City Library has continued to support access and inclusion initiatives by offering sensory packs at all library branches, hosting a monthly book club for teenagers with complex communication needs at East Maitland Library (AGOSCI), expanding their digital audio collection available to people who have low vision or who are blind and offering a Home Library service. Staff have been working on expanding the accessibility of Maitland Library’s collection, and have started building a collection of books printed in open dyslexic font. The collection of these books, as well as several Braille books will be built on over time. Adult Literacy tutoring is also offered as a service to the community via staff members who have undertaken volunteer level tutoring training.
Annual Report 2018/19 65
DISABILITY INCLUSION ACTION PLAN IN REVIEW CONTINUED Walka Water Works A social story template has been developed to help parents and carers plan and prepare for a visit to Walka Water Works. The template is modifiable and includes descriptions of the popular activities that many children and young adults enjoy when they visit as well as photos to ensure a visit to the site is not required in advance. Maitland Gaol A self guided tour is now available for the deaf and hearing impaired in either Auslan / Captions or Audio / Captions at Maitland Gaol. This tour is available using a smartphone app called OpenAccess Tours that can be downloaded in advance or alternatively it is available on site through the use of the gaol’s iPods. Open Space Council was successful in receiving $65,000 for a new playground through the Everyone Can Play Grant Program in Willow Drive, Metford. The playground design integrates the new Everyone Can Play Guidelines and increase accessibility features of the playground such as the installation of accessible picnic tables, seating to encourage and enable children and families to stay for longer, improved pathways, removal of barriers to access, and integration of technology to assist play based learning and development of motor skills. The guidelines have also been applied to other areas such as Norm Chapman Oval, with the planned works to include accessible pathways to the playground and accessible picnic tables with shade.
SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES Access and Inclusion Reference Group A particular highlight for the 2018/19 financial year was the establishment of the Access and Inclusion Reference Group (AIRG) comprising a Councillor, 14 community representatives and two Council Officers. The AIRG will provide advice to Council on access and inclusion matters and act as an information resource to:
•
provide input into the development and implementation of Council policies, strategies and action plans relating to access and inclusion (particularly the Disability Inclusion Action Plan) and deliver actions as appropriate
•
assist Council to identify and make recommendations on issues of access and inclusion affecting residents of the Maitland Local Government Area
•
provide advice to Council on inclusive and accessible community engagement methods
•
provide advice and recommendations on major projects being undertaken by Council that impact on access and inclusion matters
66 Governance
•
support Council in providing leadership for the broader community to achieve the social inclusion of people with disability.
Events Council continues to provide accessibility information for each flagship event on relevant webpages, in addition to integrating inclusion into the event planning process. This enables people with disability, their families and carers to plan their day in advance and know they will be included in the celebrations. Council now accepts the Companion Card for our ticketed flagship event Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival and are currently working on formalising this with the NSW Government Companion Card Program. The NSW Companion Card program is for people with significant and permanent disability who have a lifelong need for a high level of care to participate in community events and activities. The Companion Card allows a person’s carer free entry into participating venues and events.
EMPLOYMENT The corporate training plan has been completed for the 2019/20 financial year. Further research will be completed throughout this year to finalise an induction module to be used across Council departments. There has been increased presence of Maitland City Council at disability employment services meetings, such as Community Disability Alliance Hunter forums and the Hunter Disability Employment Advisory Group. Meeting the needs of people with disability Understanding the needs of people with a disability is vital for Council to contribute to meeting these needs. Council facilitates engagement through its Maitland Your Say website, which is WCAG 2.0 compliant. The Maitland Your Say Tent also appears at Council’s flagship events, enabling the community to have face to face conversations with Council on issues that are important to them. Council’s networks relating to people with disability are also frequently used to distribute information on how people can have their say. Through these avenues Council has actively engaged people with a disability to share their thoughts on services and projects of Council and engagements external to Council including the Maitland Draft Operational Plan 2019/20 and Customer Service Review. As a key action from the DIAP, the Access and Inclusion Reference Group, provides direct feedback to Council on projects and initiatives and how they are meeting the needs of people with disability. In the 2018/19 year, the Access and Inclusion Reference Group were consulted on Council’s current Master Locksmith’s Access Key (MLAK) procedure
to ensure fair and equitable access to toilets in Maitland, the Walka Water Works Interpretation Plan project, the Maitland Destination Management Plan, and the Accessible Equipment at Maitland Pool.
•
construction of the playground at Willow Drive, Metford designed using the Everyone Can Play Guidelines
•
exploration of options for developing a continuous path of travel between the car parking area and the accessible Skate Park at Lawes Street, East Maitland
•
further investigation of access paths from the car parking to the Walka Miniature Railway for the accessible carriage currently under development
•
a review of the Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP) will incorporate an access audit of current pedestrian access, including prioritisation of particular areas where there is increased or growing demand for pedestrian access. The PAMP provides a framework for developing pedestrian routes and infrastructure to cater for the needs of all pedestrians; including people with mobility or visual impairments. The review of the PAMP will also provide some scope for pursuing initiatives to maintain obstruction-free pathways and kerb ramps.
•
commence implementation of the recommendations from the Walka Water Works Access Report which identifies twelve accessible destinations within the site and recommends further initiatives to cater for people with ambulant, non-ambulant, vision, hearing and intellectual disability within the destinations.
Challenges and successes in delivering the DIAP A key success of the DIAP was the establishment of the Access and Inclusion Reference Group (AIRG) providing a positive outlook for ongoing engagement with people with disability further collaboration opportunities between Council and group members. The ongoing ability to collaborate across Council departments at a greater level has also been a positive outcome of the DIAP. A particular example of this would be the successful grant application of the Everyone Can Play grant for a new playground with greater focus on access and inclusion at Willow Drive, Metford. Future activities Future activities to further progress the DIAP will include:
•
finalisation of the Access and Inclusion Reference Group (AIRG) Action Plan incorporating collaborative opportunities with Council, community organisations and residents to encourage people with disability to not only be more engaged with Council, but actively play a part in delivering on Council’s commitment to people with disability
INCLUSIVE AUSTRALIA DAY AT MAITLAND PARK 2019
Annual Report 2018/19 67
SECTION 356 COMMUNITY GRANTS The below table provides details on Section 356 Community Grants for 2018/19.
Applicant
Description of the project
Saint Peter’s Anglican Church
Carols on the Hill 2018
Early Links Inclusion Support Service Teens Program
Linkers Teen Program
Maitland Gilbert and Sullivan Inc (aka Maitland Musical Society Inc.)
The Wizard of Oz anti bullying production
Hunter Valley Dragon Boat Club
New paddles
The Mai-Wel Group
Live & Loud performance event
Friends of Grossman House
High Street Dramas
Franks Fantastic Fairy Tale Theatre
The 30 Minute Puppetry Festival
Maitland Neighbourhood Watch
Aboriginal Dance Class program
Rotary Club of Maitland Sunrise Inc
Graffiti Removal program
Maitland District Motor Cycle Club
Start Gates
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Project Cost
Amount Provided
$12,500
$4,000
$5,000
$3,000
$15,000
$5,000
$1,945
$1,500
$10,000
$5,000
$1,770
$1,770
$5,000
$5,000
$6,500
$2,500
$1,000
$1,000
$17,600
$5,000
Applicant
Description of the project
Project Cost
Amount Provided
Maitland District Motor Cycle Club
Start Gates
$17,600
$5,000
Maitland and Coalfields District Orchid Society Inc. How to grow Orchids in the Hunter Valley (MCDOS)
$1,322
$661
Early Links Inclusion Support Service
Big Yellow Bus Playgroup
$5,000
$5,000
Hunter Defence Support Network
First Aid Training
$2,995
$2,000
The Maitland Hospital Volunteers Inc.
The Maitland Health Expo
$6,000
$2,200
Aberglasslyn-Rutherford Neighbourhood Watch
Public Safety
$3,300
$3,300
Carrie’s Place Domestic Violence and Homelessness Services Inc
16 days of Activism project
$14,000
$3,251
Total
$50,182
TONGAN CULTURAL GROUP PERFORMANCE RIVERLIGHTS MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL 2018
Annual Report 2018/19 69
SECTION 356 SPORTS AND ARTS GRANTS The below table provides details on Section 356 grant funds showing the total amount contributed or otherwise granted. Level of Support
Name
Support Information
Details
International Level
James Gibbs
Special Olympics Australia
Selected to represent Australia in Football at the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games. To be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE from 8 to 21 March 2019
International Level
Makye Telfer
Australian Sports Commission; Under 15's Australian International Friendship Softball Series
Makye has been selected as a member of the 2019 Australian Under 15 Boys’ Squad 2019 and is to play at the 2019 Under 15's Australian International Friendship Softball Series at Redlands Softball Park in Brisbane Queensland from 5 July to 12 July 2019
$750.00
International Level
James Dalziel
Australia Futsal Association
James has represented NNSW at Futsal playing in the NNSW Country U9 side at the National Futsal Championships held in Sydney during January 2019. James was selected based on his performance at Nationals to represent Australian Futsal u10 at the 2019 International Tournament held in Spain and to the team to tour and play in New Zealand in 2019
$750.00
International Level
Lukah Everleigh
World Championships of Performing Arts
Lukah auditioned to represent Australia at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood, USA and was selected by the International Entertainment Panel
$750.00
International Level
Piper Atkins
International All Star Federation
Dance Worlds in Florida, USA has selected 7 team members to compete at the Cheerleading & Dance World Championships in April 2019
$187.50
International Level
Lara Morton
International All Star Federation
Dance Worlds in Florida, USA has selected 7 team members to compete at the Cheerleading & Dance World Championships in April 2019
$187.50
International Level
Briahna Morton
International All Star Federation
Dance Worlds in Florida, USA has selected 7 team members to compete at the Cheerleading & Dance World Championships in April 2019
$187.50
International Level
Bianca Proctor
International All Star Federation
Dance Worlds in Florida, USA has selected 7 team members to compete at the Cheerleading & Dance World Championships in April 2019
$187.50
International Level
Jacqui Eicher
International All Star Federation
Dance Worlds in Florida, USA has selected 7 team members to compete at the Cheerleading & Dance World Championships in April 2019
$187.50
International Level
Georgia Mayfield
International All Star Federation
Dance Worlds in Florida, USA has selected 7 team members to compete at the Cheerleading & Dance World Championships in April 2019
$187.50
International Level
Hayley Tuxford
International All Star Federation
Dance Worlds in Florida, USA has selected 7 team members to compete at the Cheerleading & Dance World Championships in April 2019
$187.50
International Level
Lukah Everleigh
World Championships of Performing Arts
Lukah auditioned to represent Australia at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood, USA and was selected by the International Entertainment Panel
$750.00
International Level
Jake Doherty
Neville Shorts Boxing
Selected to attend and compete in the Australian boxing titles in Hobart in November 2018. Jake has already won 4 NSW titles with the potential to take out the Australian Title
$450.00
National Level
Dylan Bartlett
County Baseball NSW
Selected into the NSW U16 State Representative Team to compete in the 2019 National Youth Championships in Sydney from 11 to 20 January 2019
$450.00
National Level
Phoebe Matthews
Australian Youth Orchestra
Selected to participate in the Australian Youth Orchestra Symphonists Program in April 2019. The program will be a week long intensive development workshop and performance held in Melbourne
$450.00
National Level
Ashton Proctor
Basketball NSW
Selected to represent NSW at the Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup held 14 to 20 January 2019 held in Albury NSW
$450.00
70 Governance
Amount $1,500.00
Level of Support
Name
Support Information
Details
Amount
National Level
Shannon Threlfo
Indoor cricket
Selected in the NSW Cyclones Junior Indoor Cricket team competing in Toowoomba from 30 June to 14 July 2018. Shannon is ranked 10th in Australia
$450.00
National Level
Thomas Cant
NSW Rugby League
Selected to play rugby league for NSW in Brisbane on 15 July 2018. Thomas was selected on performance through Newcastle Knights
$450.00
National Level
Casey Clarke
Judo NSW
Selected to represent NSW at Judo National Championships held in Queensland. Casey is ranked 7th in Australia
$450.00
National Level
Kendra Rose Brewer
NSW Goal ball selection confirmation
Selected as part of the NSW Goal ball team to participate in 2018 Australian Goalball Championships to be held in Perth 4 to 7 October
$450.00
National Level
Isaac Ulberg
NSW Country Cockatoos
Selected to represent NSW Country Rugby Union Team to play in Camden, Queensland. Cockatoo Colts Squad
$450.00
National Level
Hope White
NSW PSSA
Selected to represent NSW at the School Sport Australia Netball Championships to be held in Darwin from 15th to 21st September 2018
$450.00
National Level
Charlee Belcher
NSW PSSA
Selected to represent NSW at the School Sport Australia Netball Championships to be held in Darwin from 15th to 21st September 2018
$450.00
National Level
Jasper McGill
Country Rugby League (CRL)
Selected to represent Country NSW Rugby League Under 16s Representative side to play against Papua New Guinea & Gold Coast Titans from 1 to 8 October at Tweed Heads
$450.00
National Level
Sienna Burgess
Softball NSW
Selected in the NSW Country Softball team to compete at the Australian Regionals Championships in Perth from 5 to 11 January 2019. This is the highest level of competition for softball at the U15 age division and it will be Sienna’s second year at the competition
$450.00
National Level
Makye Telfer
Softball NSW
Makye has been selected to represent NSW Country Softball for the second year. Makye was a member of this year’s side which were crowned National Champions in Canberra
$450.00
National Level
Lachlan Sandy
2019 Hancock Australian Swimming Championships
Lachlan was selected to compete in the 2019 Hancock Prospecting Australian Age Swimming Championship in Adelaide 15 to 22 April
$450.00
National Level
Mila Wawszkowicz
Basketball NSW
Mila was selected in the NSW Country U16 Girls team to compete in the Australian U16 Basketballs Championships in Darwin 6 to 13 July 2019
$450.00
National Level
Thomas Forbes
Hockey NSW
Selected to represent NSW at the U18 National Hockey Championships in Hobart from 9 April to 17 April 2019
$187.50
National Level
Joshua Magann
Hockey NSW
Selected to represent NSW at the U18 National Hockey Championships in Hobart from 9 April to 17 April 2019
$187.50
National Level
Charlotte Harwood
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Ella Dick
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
Annual Report 2018/19 71
Level of Support
Name
Support Information
Details
Amount
National Level
Charlotte McDonald
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Amarina Pedri
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Mikaela Sadaj
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Montana Lodge
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Layla Hobbs
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Kayleigh Kriel
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Ruby Van der wel
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Laura Vallance
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Emma Meehan
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Josie McIntosh
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
72 Governance
DAVID GRIGGS, PERCEPTION AND PLACE EXHIBITION OPENING MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY 25 MAY 2019
Level of Support
Name
Support Information
Details
Amount
National Level
Jacinta Connolly
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
National Level
Taylah Savage
2018 TFT Sports and Event Management National Championships
Selected to compete at the National Championships for School aerobics for Primary & Secondary School Students. 2018 National Championships to be held 26 August at Gold Coast
$112.50
TOTAL
$14,962.50
Annual Report 2018/19 73
EXTERNAL BODIES In accordance with Section 377 of the Local Government Act 1993, Maitland City Council delegated the following to the external bodies below: 1. Recreation Advisory Boards The care, control and management of Sporting and Recreation facilities through the following Boards; • Maitland Park Recreation Board • Maitland Sports and Recreation Advisory Board. 2. Community Centres and Halls The care, control and management of the following Community Halls and Centres through management groups: • Bruce Street Community Hall, East Maitland • Rutherford Community Centre (from 11 September 2018, financial management was taken over by Council, and the Management Group replaced by an Advisory Board) • Morpeth Museum. 3. The Friends of Maitland City Library The major objectives of the Maitland City Library are: • act in a public relations role through contributing to the organisation of cultural, educational, heritage or leisure activities for the community • act as advocates for the library through encouraging an appreciation of the social, democratic and educational importance of public libraries • raise funds to support specific projects, as requested by the City Librarian • form partnerships with other community organisations to develop the library as a community hub.
4. Maitland Regional Art Gallery Members (MRAGM) The major objectives of the MRAGM are: • to support the employees of Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) in their day to day activities • to be ambassadors for MRAG, whose role is to encourage others to associate with the Art Gallery by promoting awareness of MRAG and its activities to the community of Maitland and visitors • to raise funds in support of various functions and activities as outlined by the Cultural Director and art gallery employees • to provide visitors and supporters of the arts an opportunity to develop an ongoing relationship with the art gallery. 5. Walka Water Works The Walka Water Works Reserve Management Committee was formed to provide care, control and management of the Walka Water Works Reserve site in accordance with the policies and procedures adopted from time to time by Council in its capacity as the Corporate Trust Manager. The areas falling under the responsibility of the Committee include: • the historical sites and buildings and operational areasto include - caretakers cottage, museum, café etc • the water body, dam wall and related infrastructure such as the settling tank and filter beds etc • picnic areas providing a range of settings within open grassed areas including such facilities as car parking areas, public amenities, picnic areas, playground, gardens and tables and seating • natural areas – natural bushland covering a portion of the reserve including a trail system • sites infrastructure - to include internal road system, security, lighting, signage etc • camping grounds.
74 Governance
CORPORATIONS, PARTNERSHIPS, TRUSTS & JOINT VENTURES Corporations, Partnerships, Trusts and Joint Ventures in which Council was involved in 2018/19 consisted of: Hunter Joint Organisation Group Entities The Hunter Joint Organisation group is the hub for local government collaboration, which strengthens our communities by being the local voice on regional strategic issues in the Hunter and delivering tailored local government solutions. For over sixty years, local government in the Hunter has found significant benefit in working together through positive cooperation and resource sharing.
PRIVATE WORKS RESOLUTION During 2018/19 no private works were undertaken requiring a resolution under Section 67 of the Local Government Act 1993.
CONTROLLING INTEREST Council did not hold controlling interest in any company during 2018/19.
ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING & ASSESSMENT ACT 1979
There are four key entities operating as part of the current enterprise offering:
There was one planning agreement in force during 2018/19 namely:
• Hunter Joint Organisation – a statutory body under the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW), established in 2018 to identify, advocate for and collaborate on regional strategic priorities for the Hunter.
•
Voluntary Planning Agreement with Signature Gardens for the provision of facilities at Rutherford.
• Strategic Services Australia Limited (and its wholly owned subsidiary Hunter Councils Legal Services Limited) – are companies limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and established to improve the quality and efficiency of local government services throughout the Hunter Region. These organisations offer tailored local government services through its five divisions; Local Government Training Institute, Local Government Legal, Regional Procurement, Screen Hunter (which, under delegation from member councils, licences film production on council owned and control land), and the Environment Division (which delivers a regional environmental management program on behalf of both member councils from the Hunter region and Central Coast Council). • Hunter Councils Incorporated - an incorporated association under the Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW) that holds property assets for the Hunter Joint Organisation group. Council has representation on each entity’s Board, and shares ownership and/or control with the other nine councils of the Hunter Region.
Hunter Resource Recovery Hunter Resource Recovery Pty Ltd (HRR) is the contract manager of kerbside collection, sorting and marketing of dry recyclables for Council. Maitland, Cessnock, Lake Macquarie and Singleton Councils jointly own and operate the service. HRR manages the collection and processing contract with Solo Resource Recovery. Maitland resident’s active participation in the kerbside collection of recyclables continues to divert thousands of tonnes of recyclables away from landfill.
EAST MAITLAND AERIAL VIEW
Annual Report 2018/19 75
CODE OF CONDUCT In accordance with the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005, Council adopted a new Code of Conduct on 9 April 2019. The Code of Conduct outlines expected behaviour and establishes a framework for the reporting of suspected breaches of the Code of Conduct. All employees and Councillors are trained in the Code of Conduct. In accordance with clause 9.1 of the Code of Conduct, Council is required to report on the number, nature and outcome of any Code of Conduct complaints received. For the period ending 30 June 2018, Maitland City Council received zero Code of Conduct complaints.
PRIVACY & PERSONAL INFORMATION PROTECTION ACT On 28 June 2016 Council adopted and implemented a revised Privacy Management Plan. Council employees are active members of the Local Government Professionals Association Governance Network and the NSW Right to Information/Privacy Practitioners Network which focuses on governance issues, including privacy, within Local Government.
PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURES Council is committed to the objectives of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1994 (The Act) and encourages the disclosure of any instances of corrupt conduct, maladministration, serious and substantial waste and government information contravention. In accordance with the Act, Council’s ‘Public Interest Disclosure – Internal Reporting Policy’ established guidelines for the reporting and management of Protected Disclosures. For the reporting period ending 30 June 2019, Maitland City Council received no protected disclosures.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION PUBLIC ACCESS (GIPA) Government Information Public Access from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019 Agency Name
Maitland City Council
Principal Department (if applicable)
Office of Local Government
Reporting Period
1 July 2018 – 30 June 2019
76 Governance
OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE GIPA ACT 2009 1. Review of Proactive Release Program - Clause 7 (a) Under section 7 of the Government Information Public Access Act 2009 (GIPA), agencies must review their programs for the release of government information to identify the kinds of information that can be made publicly available. This review must be undertaken at least once every 12 months. Council’s program for the proactive release of information involves constant review of frequently requested information to determine whether it would be in the public interest to make the information publicly available on Council’s website or via any other means. During the reporting period, we reviewed and identified the types of access applications received during the 12 months to identify which applications could be included in Council’s Disclosure Log and make available to other interested parties and/ or proactively release on Council’s website. Other than access requests relating to individual’s personal information or private matters, the majority of requests received by Council were requests to view development application files. Council from 1 July 2015 commenced accepting electronic lodgment of development applications and is working towards proactive release of applicable DA information as part of the implementation of the online DA Tracker tool. This will result in a reduction of these types of information access requests. Council also launched an online Burial Register Portal where the public can carry out any family history enquiries where previously they would have needed to contact Council for the information. 2. Number of Access Applications Received - Clause 7 (b) During the reporting period, Council received a total of 21 formal access applications (including withdrawn applications but not invalid applications). 3. Number of Refused Applications for Schedule 1 Information - Clause 7 (c) During the reporting period, Council refused a total of zero formal access applications.
ROSEMARY VALADON IN CONVERSATION WITH DR ROB PATTENDEN MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY
Annual Report 2018/19 77
OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE GIPA ACT 2009 CONTINUED 4. Statistical Information About Access Applications - Clause 7 (d) and Schedule 2 Table A: Number of applications by type of applicant and outcome*
Applicant Type / Outcome
Access granted in full
Access granted in part
Access refused in full
Information not held
Information already available
Refuse to confirm/ deny whether information is held
Refuse to deal with application
Application withdrawn
Media
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Members of Parliament
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Private sector business
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Not for profit organisations or community groups
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Members of the public (application by legal representative)
2
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
Members of the public (other)
5
4
1
2
0
0
0
0
*More than one decision can be made in respect of a particular access application. If so, a recording must be made in relation to each such decision. This also applies to Table B. Table B: Number of Applications by Type of Application and Outcome
Application withdrawn
Access granted in full
Access granted in part
Access refused in full
Information not held
Information already available
Personal information applications*
4
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
Access applications (other than personal information applications)
5
4
0
2
0
0
0
0
Access applications that are partly personal information applications and partly other
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Applicant Type / Outcome
Refuse to deal with application
Refuse to confirm/ deny whether information is held
*A personal information application is an access application for personal information (as defined in Clause 4 of Schedule 4 of the Act) about the applicant (the applicant being an individual).
78 Governance
Table C: Invalid Applications Reason for Invalidity
Number of Applications
Application does not comply with formal requirements (section 41 of the Act)
1
Application is for excluded information of the agency (section 43 of the Act)
0
Application contravenes restraint order (section 110 of the Act)
0
Total number of invalid applications received
1
Invalid applications that subsequently became valid applications
1
Table D: Conclusive presumption of overriding public interest against disclosure: matters listed in Schedule 1 of the Act Number of Times Consideration Used
Consideration Overriding secrecy laws
0
Cabinet information
0
Executive Council information
0
Contempt
0
Legal professional privilege
0
Excluded information
0
Documents affecting law enforcement and public safety
0
Transport safety
0
Adoption
0
Care and protection of children
0
Ministerial code of conduct
0
Aboriginal and environmental heritage
0
*More than one public interest consideration may apply in relation to a particular access application and, if so, each such consideration is to be recorded (but only once per application). This also applies in relation to Table E. 4. Statistical Information About Access Applications - Clause 7 (d) and Schedule 2 (Continued) Table E: Other public interest considerations against disclosure: matters listed in table to section 14 of the Act Reason
Number of Occasions When Application Not Successful
Responsible and effective government
0
Law enforcement and security
0
Individual rights, judicial processes and natural justice
5
Business interests of agencies and other persons
0
Environment, culture, economy and general matters
0
Secrecy provisions
4
Exempt documents under interstate Freedom of Information legislation
0
Annual Report 2018/19 79
OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE GIPA ACT 2009 CONTINUED Table F: Timeliness Number of Applications
Reason Decided within the statutory timeframe (20 days plus any extensions)
13
Decided after 35 days (by agreement with applicant)
2
Not decided within time (deemed refusal)
0
TOTAL
15
Table G: Number of applications reviewed under Part 5 of the Act Type of Review
Decision Varied
Decision Total Upheld
Internal review
1
0
1
Review by Information Commissioner*
0
0
0
Internal review following recommendation under section 93 of Act
0
0
0
Review by ADT
0
0
0
TOTAL
1
0
1
*The Information Commissioner does not have the authority to vary decisions, but can make recommendation to the original decision maker. Table H: Applications for review under Part 5 of the Act Type of Applicant
Number of Applications for Review
Applications by access applicants
0
Applications by persons to whom information the subject of access application relates (see section 54 of the Act)
0
Table I: Applications transferred to other agencies Type of Applicant
Number of Applications for Review
Agency-Initiated Transfers
0
Applicant-Initiated Transfers
0
TOTAL
0
80 Governance
COMPANION ANIMALS ACT 1998 ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES AND COMPLIANCE OPERATIONS Council employs five Rangers who administer the various statutory responsibilities of Council, including the Companion Animals Act 1998 as represented below. There were 51 penalty notices issued, representing 3.6% of the total of all penalties issued. In 2018/19 there were 1,791 complaints regarding barking dogs, unleashed dogs, aggressive and dog attacks and cat matters received and attended. This represents 74% of all service requests received by Rangers during the 2018/19 year.
LODGEMENT OF POUND STATISTICS The Rutherford RSPCA supply council with monthly pound statistics which are subsequently compiled and lodged with the Office of Local Government (OLG) as required.
LODGEMENT OF ATTACK STATISTICS Council is compliant with the requirements of the Companion Animals Act 1998 and appropriately notifies the OLG of all reportable attacks via the Companion Animals Register.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION Educational programs, pertinent to the Companion Animals Act 1998 were presented by members of the team via public venues and media releases.
STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE THE DESEXING OF COMPANION ANIMALS Council works in consultation with the RSPCA in educating and reinforcing the importance of animal desexing. Activities are supported in the community as necessary. Council’s first microchipping and vaccination day was held on 14 June at Fred Harvey Oval Woodberry. The event was a great success with 146 animals being vaccinated and 64 animals being microchipped. This was a joint event between Maitland Council and RSPCA NSW with further vet support provided by Greencross Vets, Greenhills Vets, and East Maitland Vet practice. A further two events are planned for 2019/20.
SEEKING ALTERNATIVES TO THE EUTHANISING OF UNCLAIMED ANIMALS The RSPCA conducts vigorous rehoming campaigns on behalf of Council (as a part of their contract) which is reflected in the statistical results submitted to the OLG. The number of animals euthanised in 2018/19 increased by 8% in comparison with the 2017/18 figures. The number of companion animals rehomed again increased 10% in comparison with 2018/19 figures and 415 companion animals were released to their owners, an increase of 10% from 2018/19.
OFF LEASH AREAS PROVIDED Maitland City Council recognises the benefit of dogs as companion animals and has adopted the ‘Off Leash Dog Exercise Area Strategy’. The Strategy outlines the areas that can be used for dog exercise in the Maitland area. There are seven off leash areas: •
Bakers Brickyard Quarry, Raworth
•
Verge Street, Telarah
•
A&D Lawrence Sporting Fields, Thornton
•
Rathluba Lagoon, East Maitland
•
Les Circuit, Gillieston Heights
•
The Esplanade - Lorn Side of Belmore Bridge, Lorn
•
Alliance Street, East Maitland.
FUND EXPENDITURE Fund Expenditure RSPCA Contract Consumables; including education equipment
Amount $354,764 $10,998
60% of enforcement officers salary including overtime
$247,342
Total
$613,104
USE OF THE COMPANION ANIMALS FUND Funds are used in preparation of information packs; provision and servicing of off leash signage and litter bins.
Annual Report 2018/19 81
SKATERS SHRED EAST MAITLAND SKATE PARK LAWES STREET RESERVE
82 Maitland City Council
DELIVERY PROGRAM PROGRESS Council has worked with residents and other stakeholders to produce the ten year community strategic plan, Maitland +10. Maitland +10 identifies high level outcomes for our city, along with strategies to help meet these goals. It’s a vision for our city, building on our past to make a vibrant future. Simply, it is a plan by our community, for our community. Council’s Delivery Program is developed to support the delivery Maitland +10, providing clear information to the community on Council’s role in leading, partnering or facilitating the achievement of our community’s ten year goals. The Operational Plan 2018/19, the first annual plan under the Delivery Program 2018-2021 is the focus of this Annual Report.
READING THE REPORT This report details our progress against the actions set out in the 2018/19 Operational Plan. This section is divided into the key themes listed below which are identified in Maitland +10 (our Community Strategic Plan):
Proud place, great lifestyle Our built space Our natural environment A prosperous and vibrant city Connected and collaborative community leaders Our overall progress for 2018/19 is outlined below. This section of the report provides key highlights, challenges and future plans divided into the above key themes.
201
40
11
COMPLETED
IN PROGRESS
DEFERRED
Annual Report 2018/19 83
PROUD PEOPLE, GREAT LIFESTYLE Heritage, pride and a unique sense of local identity are strong foundations for any community, and none more so than our own here in Maitland. The lifestyle offered by the City is second to none, with the convenience of our location coupled with a wide range of housing choices, from heritage homes through to the latest in modern design in our new and growing suburbs. We welcome thousands of new residents every year, residents who soon become integral to our social fabric.
OVERVIEW
3 Outcomes
13 COMMUNITY STRATEGIES
1
Our growing community retains our sense of place and pride in our City whilst welcoming diversity and change.
2
Our community, recreation and leisure services and facilities meet the needs of our growing and active city.
3
Together we will celebrate a range of community and iconic events.
39 objectives 86 actions for 2018/19 Delivered via SUMMARY OF 2018/19 ACTIONS
5 Service Areas
84 Proud People, Great Lifestyle
57 Complete
25 In progress
4 Deferred
PROUD PEOPLE GREAT LIFESTYLE IS... focused on retaining a sense of pride and place in the city, ensuring our community and recreation services meet the needs of our community and celebrating iconic events and festivals
BAKERS BRICKYARD PLAYGROUND AT RAWORTH
Annual Report 2018/19 85
PROUD PEOPLE, GREAT LIFESTYLE HIGHLIGHTS Maitland Regional Athletics Centre
Community Hub Gillieston Heights
Construction on the Maitland Regional Athletics Centre continued to progress. The $10.5 million project is jointly funded by Council and the NSW Government under the Restart NSW Hunter Infrastructure and Investment Fund and will meet International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) standards. This provides track certification which means the track has been measured for accuracy and a record can be set on that track. Certification enables high level, international competition.
Works progressed on a new community centre in Gillieston Heights following the awarding of a contract to develop the site in March 2018.
A significant amount of below ground works have been completed, with the pavement foundation for the track to be installed over the next few months. It is estimated that the state of the art synthetic surface will be laid early 2020, with anticipated completion of the project in June 2020. The project will deliver Stage 2 of the broader Maitland Regional Sports Hub. Planning for Stage 3, which will provide carparking, new fencing, a fitness track and equipment, amphitheatre seating, new LED scoreboard and lighting upgrade for Maitland No. 1 Sportsground, has also commenced with this stage jointly funded by the State Government’s Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund and Council.
Bakers Brickyard Playground Upgrade works at Bakers Brickyard Playground in Raworth were completed including provision of toilets, car park and shade structure. Works were funded through a grant under the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund. Additional site works included the provision of a BBQ and an enclosed off leash dog exercise area.
Metford Recreation Reserve A 67 space carpark has been constructed adjacent to the Metford Recreation Reserve on Schanck Drive. The project was enabled through the receipt of $348,592 in funding from the State Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund and supports visitors and players using the reserve.
ClubGRANTS 2018 allocations $44,928 in grants has been provided from five local clubs through the ClubGRANTS scheme. The scheme collects money from eligible gaming clubs within the city and ensures larger registered clubs contribute to the provision of front line services to their local communities. Local clubs contributing to the funding scheme included Maitland Leagues Club (contributed $7,000), Club Maitland City (contributed $16,816), Telarah Bowling Club (contributed $2,072), East Maitland Bowling Club (contributed $18,040) and Easts Leisure and Golf Club (contributed $1,000). Each contributing club holds a position of assessment on the ClubGRANTS Committee. In July the local ClubGRANTS Committee members agreed to provide funding to 12 of the 50 applicants for initiatives for mental health; physical activity; food provision and safety as well as baby, child and parent targeted projects.
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The centre, designed to meet the growing needs of the residents in the area, is located at the corner of Redwood Drive and Pine Street. It includes three activity rooms, office areas, a commercial kitchen, foyer and covered entry, as well as landscaping and car parking. The site will provide a space for local organisations and community groups to meet and deliver a range of social programs, services and activities which address the social needs of the Gillieston Heights community. Onsite works commenced in May 2018 with the building now undergoing the finishing touches and car park and landscaping being complete. All works are expected to be finalised by late September.
Lawes Street Skatepark A new skate park was constructed at Lawes Street Reserve. The park was designed based on community feedback, resulting in the creation of a unique skating facility in Maitland. The skate park features a large skate bowl that is up to two metres deep and 20 metres by eight metres wide and street elements, along with three small all weather shelters, seating, a water bubbler and an area that provides space to support events and competitions. A multipurpose court has been constructed next to the skatepark, providing for complimentary sports activities.
Maitland Aquatic Centre Accessibility improvements were made to the facilities and amenities at Maitland Aquatics Centre. Upgrades included the provision of mobile sling hoist, mobile shower trolley/change table and complete modifications to existing Unisex Accessible amenities to meet current Australian Standards.
Change Rooms upgrade The Lochinvar Sports Complex, located on Robert Road, received upgrade works that included improvements to the change rooms, shower facilities and referee’s room. Works, valued at $93,990, were funded through the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund. The sports ground is located in a rapidly growing area, is used by cricket and football teams as well as for personal training. The completed works will support the growth of female participation in sport, with the football club experiencing rising female membership.
Shade structures New shade structures were installed over playgrounds at The Boulevard East Maitland, Somerset Drive Thornton, Lawson Avenue Woodberry, A&D Lawrence Oval Thornton, Heritage Park East Maitland and Swallow Avenue Woodberry. Funding of $128,800 was provided through the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund, with Council funding the balance of the works.
Residents now have access to 83 playgrounds across the city, 44 with shade structures. Maintenance of these is managed under an annual program of works.
Fencing A fencing upgrade at A&D Lawrence Oval, funded through a $236,440 grant from the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund, provided additional protection to playing fields, including the prevention of unauthorised vehicles accessing playing surfaces. Throughout the year fencing was also replaced at the Anglican, Presbyterian, Uniting and Methodist cemeteries located in East Maitland.
Floodlighting An upgrade of lighting, to meet current standards, was carried out on various facilities including the BMX track Tenambit, Maitland Netball courts and Tenambit Oval Training Field. Floodlighting is provided at 38 fields across the city with maintenance managed under an annual program of works.
Multipurpose courts Newly redeveloped multipurpose courts at Largs, which opened in November 2018, are providing local residents with access to new hoops, futsal goals and wallball facilities. A further three basketball/netball half courts, which include kick walls, were installed at Lawes Street East Maitland, Norm Chapman Oval Rutherford and Redwood Drive Gillieston Heights.
Maitland’s older residents enjoyed a full event program including Art and Dementia conversations and Community Day with various activities and exhibitions at Maitland Regional Art Gallery, morning tea and guided tour at Maitland Gaol, a creative writing meet up, dance for Parkinson’s class and other activities at library branches. There were also beginner dragon boating lessons with Hunter River Dragons in Morpeth, carpet bowls and darts activities with Maitland Senior Citizens and Pensioner’s Association, and Maitland Croquet Club held a Friendship Night with croquet and a family barbecue dinner.
NAIDOC Week Each July, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures are celebrated during NAIDOC week. The 2018 theme was Because of Her, We Can! Which saw Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council lead four key celebrations in Maitland. More than 100 locals, from all cultural backgrounds, took part in the Celebration of Existence March along High Street from Maitland Courthouse to the Town Hall. Along with the march, people were able to take part in the Coquun Cup Youth Touch Football Day, a kids disco at Mindaribba and a big Family Fun Day at Metford Recreation Reserve which were supported by Council with funding through the Community Grants Program.
Seniors Week The annual NSW Seniors Festival, coordinated in conjunction with the community, was held in February across various locations throughout Maitland. The main highlight was the sold out Lonnie Lee and the Leeman Rock n Roll concert at Maitland Town Hall.
SHADE STRUCTURE A&D LAWRENCE OVAL THORNTON
Annual Report 2018/19 87
HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED) Youth Week Youth Week, the nation’s largest celebration of young Australians, was held in April 2019. Maitland’s young people are recognised as the future of our city and are supported and encouraged for the contributions that they make to our community. The Youth Week celebrations provide an opportunity to really show what Maitland’s young people can do. The Maitland Youth Week Grant Program supported the delivery of five programs and events. Hundreds of young people attended the Night Shred, Let’s Dance, GABFEST, Sun Street Festival and Young, Loud & Proud events, which were organised by local young people and community organisations.
Skaters Shred Two new skating events were delivered to our youth including the Rutherford Shred, launched in October 2018, which focused on youth, local skaters and scooter enthusiasts. Around 50 young people enjoyed skating demonstrations by local pro skaters from Grundy’s Skate Store, a street art activity, and a local DJ. The official opening of the East Maitland Skate Park at Lawes Street Reserve was held in March 2019, where the Lawes Street Shred provided an age division competition for skate, scooter, BMX and roller participants. The competition was supported by Grundy’s Skate Store and sanctioned by the Australian Skateboarding Federation with over $5,000 worth of prizes sponsored by Skate Connection. More than 250 people attended with over 60 participants in the various competitions.
Event Planning Development of an Event Planning Guide commenced supported by a streamlined process for external stakeholders holding events in Maitland. External events held in the city throughout the year included the Postie Bike Nationals, Maitland 200 Years Celebration in Maitland Park, Maitland Heritage Motor & Steam Fair, the South Maitland Railway 125 Year Anniversary, Groovin the Moo Music Festival, Holden Car Show and Swap Meet, Dogs in the Park and NAIDOC Week Family Fun Day.
Look Who’s Talking Maitland City Library’s Look Who’s Talking program brings the country’s best writers and storytellers to Maitland. This year we welcomed celebrated human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson, former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans, popular broadcaster Jane Caro, patron saint of the world’s backpackers and adventure travellers Tony Wheeler, Arab-Australian writer and founder of Sweatshop Michael Mohammed Ahmad, rockstar Fiona Horne, and a swag of award-wining writers including Barry Maitland, Heather Rose, Michael Sala and Heather Morris. Using smart technology, live-streaming of sessions from the world-class Sydney Writers and All About Women Festivals also allowed local audiences to discover new perspectives and insights, as well as international and local views on contemporary issues. Wellbeing topics explored the search for a more peaceful and balanced existence and included an insight into the ancient
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wisdom of Ayurveda, activating the body’s natural healing processes through breathwork and reestablishing a harmonious relationship with the Earth. The history of Maitland was explored through its bridges and steam engines. A special exploration of Aboriginal astronomy was a highlight of the program, as well as insights into Maitland’s creative scene and a year in the life of Maitland’s 2018 Citizen of the Year, Amorelle Dempster.
Maitland’s unusual history Maitland’s unusual history has been presented in a fresh and exciting way in the latest publication by the Maitland City Heritage Group. Unusual stories, events and artefacts have been combined to present fresh insights into Maitland’s history in a new book ‘Out of the Ordinary, Maitland’s Surprising History’. The latest and eighth publication written by Cynthia Hunter and edited by Elisabeth Smark and Bob Beal was exhibited throughout late 2018 at East Maitland Library and featured numerous eclectic stories including ‘Mystery of the Fountains, ‘An Ill Fated Portrait’ and ‘Lily White’s Stain, From Inventor to Wife Killer’.
Lifelong Learning Key initiatives included the establishment of the Library’s Little Bang Discovery Club, a new weekly program introducing STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) activities for 2-5 year olds and a partnership with University of Newcastle’s SMART program to provide STEM focused school holiday activities. Maitland Regional Art Gallery hosted Sunday Study and Meet the Maker series, which connected people with exhibiting artists and opportunities to learn their techniques.
Maitland Libraries Almost half of Maitland’s population are registered members of Maitland Libraries. The past year has seen an increase in membership of over 10%, which is above the NSW standard. The number of people participating in events, such as Look Who’s Talking and Library literacy programs, also increased by around 40% with almost 20,000 participants over the 12 month period indicating a continuing strong demand for lifelong learning. During the year 476,490 items were borrowed, with 10% of these being from the digital library.
Artistic program Maitland Regional Art Gallery’s (MRAG) exhibition program featured significant solo exhibitions from major Australian artists including Tim Maguire, Rosemary Valadon and Tim Winters. David Griggs (a finalist in the 2019 Archibald and Sulman Prizes), Del Kathryn Barton and rising star in the Australian art scene, Hunter based artist Lottie Consalvo, also attracted visitors to the Gallery. MRAG partnered with a number of Regional and State galleries to provide local access to artworks. The program included innovative and diverse exhibitions that examined social and local history, supported children and young people, increased
inclusivity of people living with diverse needs, and provided a voice for new and emerging artists and a wide range of local artists.
level, and provide a platform for effective communication between Council, Group members and the Aboriginal community.
During the year 61,739 visitors attended the Gallery with 11,456 people participating in programs. There was a continued emphasis on collection management and access, which resulted in increasing community connection with the Gallery’s permanent collection of artworks.
Disability Inclusion Action Plan
Library services review Council engaged AEC Consultants and the State Library of NSW to assist in developing a strategic approach to the delivery of library services in the Maitland area, including a review of service delivery and preparation of a strategic framework for Maitland’s Libraries. The review identified a series of key strategic enablers for future service delivery, including facilities, workforce, membership, collection development and strengthening of the Library’s role in lifelong learning. A strategic plan has been drafted including a blueprint for development of library services and facilities for the future.
Community partnerships Council works with a number of community groups and committees to develop and delivery projects and programs. Committee and Advisory Board Meetings took place with the Walka Water Works Advisory Committee, Maitland Sports and Recreation Advisory Board, Maitland Park Advisory Board, and Rutherford Community Centre Advisory Board. Staff attended the first Rutherford Youth Development Working Party meeting, facilitated by the Maitland/Dungog Youth Development Officer (YDO) to discuss issues for young people in the western area. Also attended were the Hunter Council’s Community Development and Social Planning forum, the Community Disability Alliance Hunter (CDAH) Transport Forum, the Newcastle City Council’s Multicultural Plan consultation, Hunter Refugee Network meeting and Multicultural Services Expo. In addition to networks and forums, there have been a number of community service meetings with Beyond Bank, Youth Express, Mai-Wel, Endeavour/Sunnyfield, Children’s University, Maitland/Dungog YDO to discuss service and local area updates.
Aboriginal Reference Group established Following adoption of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Framework, an expression of interest was held to establish an Aboriginal Reference Group. Members of the group were announced in April, including Deb Barwick, Rhys Callaghan, Phil Cliff, Tara Dever, Andrew Fernando, Stevie-Lee Molina, and Cheryl Kitchener. All members demonstrate a strong connection to, and understanding of the local Aboriginal community, and voice a strong connection to their cultural identity. The reference group will enable Aboriginal people to inform planning and decision making at the local government
In 2017 Council developed a Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), designed to improve opportunities for people of all ages with any disability to participate fully in community life. The plan is focused on developing positive community attitudes and behaviours, creating liveable communities, supporting access to meaningful employment and improving access to mainstream services through better systems and processes. An Access and Inclusion Reference Group of 14 community members was established to support the delivery of the DIAP. Following the initial meetings an asset and skills audit of the group is being undertaking to identify appropriate action within the DIAP to partner with Council to implement and support community planning in the future. Further information on activities undertaken under this plan is available on pages 65-67.
Immunisation Clinics Four free immunisation clinics are provided each month for 0 to 4 year olds at Council facilities in Thornton, Rutherford and Central Maitland. Over the year 384 immunisations were delivered by Council clinics. A schedule with dates and venues for the clinics is available on Council’s website maitland.nsw. gov.au
Homelessness Pledge In progressing Council’s commitment to The Newcastle and Hunter Ending Homelessness Pledge, staff attended industry information sessions on approaches to homelessness, gathering information for a review of strategic direction and Council’s participation in homelessness programs moving forward.
Maitland Aquatics A review of Aquatics was undertaken during the year with recommendations now under consideration, including coordination of a Dive in Cinema and season launch days.
Maitland Regional Sports Hub The community enjoyed local access to a series of A League events. A pre-season A-League trial match was hosted at the Maitland Regional Sports Hub Sportsground between the Newcastle Jets and the Central Coast Mariners in August 2018. The event saw over 3,500 people attend, including Olympic champion Usain Bolt. In September 2018, 1,700 people cheered on the Newcastle Jets and the Western Sydney Wanderers. In March 2019 over 6,200 people attended an NRL pre season trial match between the Newcastle Knights and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. The game was preceded by under 16, under 18, women and reserve grade matches and was supported by a number of community groups providing canteen/ bar services, half time entertainment, food trucks, parking and first aid. All events received extensive support by
Annual Report 2018/19 89
HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED) the community, with several local groups and clubs contributing to the events by providing canteen and bar services, volunteers, parking and first aid. The matches offered another exciting opportunity for the community to see elite level sportspeople playing right here in Maitland.
Aroma Coffee and Chocolate Festival The annual festival, held in August 2018, attracted approximately 16,000 people over the weekend. Aroma featured over 80 stalls including chocolatiers, baristas and some of the region’s winemakers. The festival saw the riverside come alive, allowing visitors to enjoy some of the most indulgent products from across the region as local entertainers took to the stage to create a light, celebratory atmosphere. Highlights included a DIY Brownie Bar, live pottery demonstrations, a pop up library and riverside picnic setting. To support the program The Levee hosted a two day Art Bazaar Pop Up run by Hunter Arts Network. The Pop Up featured over 38 Stalls by Hunter based creatives.
Riverlights Multicultural Festival Over 8,000 people attended the 7th Riverlights Multicultural Festival in October, experiencing interactive stalls, dance, food, music and arts in The Levee. More than 25 cultures were represented in the Cultural Village with highlights including Curious Legends leading a special lantern procession through The Levee and down the riverbank before they performed ‘The Tiger, the Holy Man and the Jackal’ out on the water.
Bitter & Twisted The 12th Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival was held in November, a unique celebration of craft beer, Australian music and good food held within the walls of the historic Maitland Gaol. Highlights included 20 craft breweries, meet the brewer sessions, home brew masterclasses and beer and cheese matching.
New Year’s Eve Celebrations Thousands attended the Central Maitland riverbank to enjoy free kids amusements, live music, face painting and kids art activities. Severe thunderstorms shortly after 8.00pm resulted in the cancellation of all activities and entertainment as well as the planned 9.00pm fireworks. The fireworks display was rescheduled to After Dark: Winter Solstice on 22 June 2019.
Australia Day in Maitland Park Over 5,000 people attended The Mutual Presents Australia Day in Maitland Park where free activities included a barbecue breakfast hosted by The Lions Club of East Maitland, free entry to Maitland Pool, amusements, children’s activities, face painting, giveaways and entertainment. The Official Ceremony included a Citizenship Ceremony and Citizen of the Year Awards.
Maitland Taste 2019 marked the 10th anniversary of Maitland Taste, a celebration of great food, wine and produce from the Hunter Region and surrounds. The program featured diverse cooking and gardening demonstrations, interactive displays and workshops, kids activities and pop up music spaces. A highlight of the weekend was the appearance of Hunter born celebrity chef Cory Campbell.
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Burton Automotive Hunter Valley Steamfest Hunter Valley Steamfest attracted over 50,000 people to Maitland on April 13 and 14. Steamfest offered guests a diverse rail program highlighted by the Locomotive 3526 and 3265 alongside a Red Rattler and Tin Hare. Other highlights included the Steamfest Rally Ground which featured one of the largest displays of portable engines in the event’s history as well as the Steamfest Show ‘n’ Shine which saw over 400 classic cars and hots rods fill Maitland Park on the Sunday of the event in addition to food stalls, live rock ‘n’ roll entertainment and fun for the entire family.
CHALLENGES
FUTURE PLANS
Maitland Rally Ground
Hunter River access at Morpeth
The research phase of a plan of management for the Rally Ground site has commenced with a review of existing Development Applications which will set the foundation for the development of the management plan. The delivery of the plan has been carried over into 2019/20 due to the impact of increased operational resourcing needs.
Following community feedback requesting access to the Hunter River to be enhanced, Council developed The Queens Wharf Plan of Management and Masterplan project which has progressed during 2018/19. A licence from Crown Lands has been received and a request for tenders has been completed.
Recreational and community planning The rapid growth in population faced by Maitland City over the past decade has identified a requirement to review recreational and community planning data to ensure that facilities are keeping pace with community needs. Actions to assist these reviews have been identified in future operation activity planning.
Maitland netball courts upgrade Council has received a grant of $827,592 from the Stronger Country Communities Fund to upgrade eleven netball courts at Maitland Park. Works will include the reconstruction of eleven existing courts to meet current standards. Works are due for completion in December 2019.
Maitland croquet courts upgrade Council has received a grant of $168,475 from the Stronger Country Communities Fund to provide additional lighting to two of croquet courts at Maitland Park. Works will include the installation of new poles and floodlight along with the upgrade of existing floodlights. Works are due for completion in May 2020. See Council’s Operation Plan 2019/20 at maitland.nsw. gov.au/my-council/planning-and-reporting/long-term-planning/ operational-plan
AROMA COFFEE AND CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL 2018
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OUR BUILT SPACE Our public places – our buildings, parks, shops and streets – are key centres of community life in Maitland. As much as possible we like to work, shop and socialise within easy travelling distance of our homes. And where this is not possible, we enjoy the proximity of Maitland to a range of other locations, via road or rail. Our built heritage, in particular, is what attracts many newcomers to our city. We have worked together to ensure the spirit and character of our heritage churches, halls, schools, buildings and homes has been retained. We have established precincts like Lochinvar, Lorn, and Morpeth, coupled with recent developments at Somerset Park, Aberglasslyn and Chisholm. This particular blend of old and new is much valued by the people who call Maitland home. Being one of the fastest growing inland cities in Australia is not without challenges. During recent community engagement activities, our community made it clear that the provision of roads and management of traffic were high priorities, along with ensuring adequate public transport across the entire City.
OVERVIEW
4 Outcomes
12 COMMUNITY STRATEGIES
1
Our infrastructure is well planned, integrated and timely, meeting community needs now and into the future.
2
All residents are able to move around the city in safety and with ease - on foot, bicycle, car bus or train.
3
Our unique built heritage is maintained and enhanced, coupled with sustainable new developments to meet the needs of our growing community.
4
Diverse and affordable housing options are available for our residents throughout all life stages.
34 objectives
47 actions for 2018/19 SUMMARY OF 2018/19 ACTIONS
Delivered via 23 Complete 4 SERVICE AREAS
92 Our Built Space
23 In progress
1 Deferred
our built space is... focused on well planned infrastructure, movement around the City, enhancing our unique built heritage, complemented by sustainable new developments and ensuring diverse and affordable housing
ATHEL D’OMBRAIN DRIVE RECONSTRUCTION
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OUR BUILT SPACE HIGHLIGHTS Regional planning
Ilumination survey
The Hunter Regional Economic Development Strategy (REDS) 2018-2022 was released, covering the local government areas of Maitland, Cessnock, Dungog, Muswellbrook, Port Stephens, Singleton and Upper Hunter.
Consultants were engaged to undertake a review of the Rutherford Shopping precinct, with an existing light level investigation completed. The consultant will identify locations requiring lighting enhancements and prepare concepts for the upgrade of lighting in those areas for future implementation.
The Hunter REDS is one of 37 produced in NSW and helps the State Government allocate funding for infrastructure projects across the region. It considers the goals of residents and businesses, identifying the strengths of the local economy, communicating a long term economic vision and recommending the immediate actions needed to deliver that vision. The strategy includes a number of proposed infrastructure projects within Maitland including railway station development, roads, bridges, health, education and precinct development, and supports a focus on infrastructure development that supports our growing community.
Sustainable practices support glass recycling Bio Sand, a manufactured recycled glass product, has been used on suitable construction works for pipe drainage embedment and backfill across the city. Bio Sand is a replacement for sand that would normally be used to embed and backfill drainage pipes. It is more environmentally friendly than sand and construction teams are achieving good results with the placement and compaction of the recycled glass. Over the year around 710 tonnes of Bio Sand has successfully been used on three construction projects including Eurimbla Street reconstruction at Thornton (60 tonnes), Brunswick Street reconstruction at East Maitland (150 tonnes) and Abbot Street reconstruction in Maitland (500 tonnes).
Improving access to Central Maitland Following the completion of construction on the western end of Athel D‘Ombrain Drive, including works at the Maitland Railway Station Transport Interchange, the next stage of works has commenced. Works will take approximately nine months to complete and include road reconstruction and drainage works along Abbot Street between High Street and Rose Street Maitland.
Roadwork reconstruction A major reconstruction job commenced on Maitland Vale Road at Hillsborough. It will include 760 metres of widening, improved alignment, drainage upgrades and tree planting. The intersection of Maitland Vale and Hillsborough Roads will also be upgraded. The works are expected to be finalised by October 2019. Works were completed at Page Street in East Maitland. The road reconstruction and widening was completed between Lawes and Blaxland streets and included installation of a rubber roundabout at the intersection of Lawes and Page Streets along with kerb and gutter and drainage upgrades.
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Footpath improvements Each year Council undertakes an extensive program of capital works. Throughout September 2018 footpath construction works was undertaken at South Seas Drive and Galway Drive in Ashtonfield, including the installation of new footpaths.
Cessnock Road Cycleway construction progress Works on the cycleway that will link the community of Gillieston Heights with Central Maitland has continued. The Cessnock Road cycleway consists of a 2,200m concrete shared path with a budget of approximately $2.45 million. The project has four stages, with the cycleway bridge (stage 3) and the cycleway between Fishery Creek and New England Highway (stage 4) funded under the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund. The cycleway is being delivered in stages with stage 1 works from James Leslie Drive to Dagworth Road and stage 3 pedestrian bridge over Fishery Creek now in place. Design works for the remaining stages are complete with preliminary works commenced and construction anticipated for completion by March 2020.
Bus Shelter accessibility improvements Designs are well underway for the 36 bus stops identified within Councils Delivery Program, with grant funding secured through Country Passenger Transport Infrastructure Grants (CPTIGS) for an additional 29 upgrades and 23 new bus shelters. The delivery of these shelters has commenced and is on target for completion by July 2020.
Road Safety Program The community has access to a number of road safety programs which are supported by funding under the Roads and Maritime Services Local Government Road Safety Program and delivered by Council. Funding supports the delivery of Learner Driver workshops, Safer Shift programs, Maitland local road speed and drink and drive event programs and has supported a targeted approach to the main issues associated with road trauma which include speed, drink driving, and driver fatigue.
MULTI PURPOSE COURT NORM CHAPMAN OVAL RUTHERFORD
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HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED
CHALLENGES
Central Maitland parking study
Rutherford Shopping Precinct High Pedestrian Activity Zone
Central Maitland has undergone major changes over the past three years with the completion of The Levee, the opening of the Riverlink building and parking upgrades within the Maitland Station Precinct. The Levee now forms the core of Central Maitland’s lifestyle precinct with Council initiating a review of car parking within the area to determine future requirements. As part of the study, a number of parking surveys have been completed including consultation with stakeholders, including transport providers, government agencies and the community. The parking study is in line with a commitment by Council to review parking in Central Maitland once the redevelopments at both Stockland Greenhills and The Levee had concluded. Council have engaged GTA Consultants to undertake a Central Maitland Parking Study to understand the overall position on parking and to help identify the opportunities that can be considered in the future.
Works to implement the Rutherford Shopping Precinct High Pedestrian Activity zone are pending approval and co contribution from Roads and Maritime Services. The design documentation for a 40 km zone has been completed following support identified during community engagement in December 2017.
Delivery of city infrastructure in line with growth projections Council is continuing its focus on increasing grant revenue, taking opportunity where practical and possible to secure grant funding to enable the delivery of key and major infrastructure improvements. Over the past few years, grant funding has allowed us to deliver projects that would otherwise have required alternate funding and taken much longer to achieve. Projects include The Levee, a redeveloped No.1 Sportsground, regional athletics facility (under development), refurbishment of the Maitland Town Hall auditorium, major road upgrades, playground improvements and cycleway works. In 2018/19 Council has provided a capital works budget of $30.3 million to deliver major road reconstruction, rehabilitation and resurfacing works, traffic facilities, footpaths and cycleways, bridge and guardrail work, drainage works, carpark refurbishments, building and recreation works.
FUTURE PLANS Belmore Bridge to Walka Water Works pathway investigations During 2019/20 Council will investigate route options for a shared pathway from Belmore Bridge to Walka Water Works to enhance connectivity between local amenities through improvements to our on and off road cycleways. The investigation follows community feedback seeking a cycle network that is safe, comfortable and can integrate cycling with the wider transport system across the city
Engineering Standards review During 2019/20 a review of engineering standards will be undertaken to provide guidelines for appropriate design and construction of major subdivisions.
Intersection works at Government Road and Raymond Terrace Road Thornton Council has received $1.4 million in the Housing Acceleration Fund (HAF) (Round 5). A concept design has been completed and forwarded to the Roads & Maritime Services (RMS) for concurrence. All the design adjustments requested by the RMS have been completed. A consultant has been engaged to complete a detail design. It is proposed to commence utility relocation design work by March 2020. Stage 2 Construction is subject to funding.
96 Our Built Space
REHABILITATION AND RESEAL PROGRAM 2018/19
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OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The Hunter River is synonymous with Maitland, and is perhaps the most dominant aspect of our City’s natural environment. The flood prone nature of parts of the City has led to a very distinctive land use pattern and built form, with our urban areas having clear limits that overlook the idyllic pastoral areas. Following European settlement in the region, cedar getting and farming in the 1800s has had a vast impact on our local environment, and today less than 7% of our remnant native bushland remains. Protecting and enhancing these remaining areas is a priority for both Council and the local community. The challenge for today is to ensure issues of past, present and potential future environmental damage are addressed. And the challenge goes beyond our local landscape, biodiversity and water to issues of air pollution and the potential impacts of climate change. Maitland is not alone in facing issues of national and global significance. Reducing waste, minimising the use of water, sustainable food production, conserving biodiversity and reducing reliance on fossil fuels are but a few of the challenges communities across the globe are facing.
OVERVIEW
3 Outcomes
1
The potential impacts of our growing community on the environment and our natural resources are actively managed.
9 COMMUNITY STRATEGIES
2
All our local rivers and floodplains are enhanced, utilised and valued.
3
Local people are aware of their personal impacts on the environment and take steps to prevent or minimise negative impacts and promote positive action.
10 objectives
30 actions for 2018/19
Delivered via
4 Service Areas
98 Our Natural Environment
SUMMARY OF 2018/19 ACTIONS
20 Complete
8 In progress
2 Deferred
Our natural environment is... focused on the management of population growth on our environment and natural resources, enhancing and utilising our rivers and flood plains and, ensuring awareness of personal impacts on the environment
LOWER HUNTER SPOTTED GUM IRONBARK FOREST
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OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT HIGHLIGHTS ‘Explore Walka’ earns national award ‘Explore Walka’, a project designed to celebrate the rich ecology and birdlife of Walka Water Works, received a National Award of Excellence from Interpretation Australia.
landscape and integration works. Grant funding was provided under the NSW Government’s Heritage Near Me Activation Program.
Water education program delivered
The project was funded by the NSW Government, and delivered under Stage 1 of the site’s Interpretation Masterplan. It provides new experiences for visitors, raises the profile of Walka’s ecology, and promotes the area’s educational value.
A grant of $5,000 from Hunter Water under its Love Water Grants Program enabled education resources to be provided to residents to increase awareness of water efficiency and the reduction of water usage.
Works included the development of an Ecology Viewing Platform with information panels and a seating area, the Walka Bird App, and a curriculum resource development guide, prepared by education consultant Helen Doust to support teaching of History, Science and Geography.
The grant provided a travelling display at Maitland, Rutherford and East Maitland libraries and the 2019 Tocal Field Days. The display, and supporting social media posts, encouraged water conservation and provided information on how to save water through installing water efficient fittings. A supporting competition saw a Maitland resident win a $500 plumbing upgrade in their home. Water savings will be monitored over the next twelve months.
Convergence Associates and UXED Pty Ltd assisted in the development of project resources, in partnership with the Hunter Bird Observers Club and guided by Morpeth Public School.
Walka Water Works Reserve revegetation A grant of $82,900 from the NSW Environmental Trust enabled further rehabilitation of Walka Water Works Reserve. The funding provided for the removal of weeds and planting of 4,960 native plants across 20 hectares of the reserve. The Environmental Trust Fund also provided $100,000 towards the protection and enhancement of the endangered Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest at three reserves. Restoration and rehabilitation works, including weed removal and the native plantings, will be delivered at a Council Reserve off Magnetic Drive in Ashtonfield, including a section of Four Mile Creek, the parcel of land along Two Mile Creek in Brooklyn Park Greenhills, and a parcel to the south of the Mount Vincent Waste Management Centre at East Maitland. Works, which will continue over three years, include education on the importance of native vegetation.
Green Energy at the Gallery Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) received a $100,000 grant to improve energy efficiency and reduce power bills across the site. The project is one of 24 across NSW that shared in $1.5 million under the NSW Government Heritage Near Me Green Energy Grant program. The grant will increase the capacity and efficiency of the air conditioning system and involve the installation of a new cooling tower and water chiller to supplement the existing air conditioning plant. The upgrade will support the attraction of loans of high quality cultural material and exhibitions from state and national institutions that would not be possible without these improvements.
Morpeth Museum integrates archaeological finds Morpeth Museum received around $80,000 in grant funding to integrate archaeological finds in the rear courtyard area, improve the usability of the space, allow for the use of the area as an outdoor classroom, and help implement a range of
100 Our Natural Environment
Cemetery heritage conservation works Stage 2 of the Glebe Cemetery Conservation Program was completed, including maintenance of 40 monuments and 12 corner posts and reinstallation of fallen monuments. Two monuments were repaired and non invasive investigations were undertaken. The program will allow the monuments to better withstand weather and site conditions into the future, and support the further development of educational videos and content.
Mass planting supports national tree day A planting event at Walka Water Works to celebrate National Tree Day saw 50 community members attend to plant 400 native tube stock. The planting will assist with stifling weed invasion and provide habitat to local fauna. 19 schools also participated in a Schools Tree Day with a total of 662 shrubs and ground cover seedlings planted across the city, which were provided by Council.
Native seedling giveaways Seedling giveaways are held to encourage native plantings and increase habitat for local fauna, with up to four native tube stock provided to residential property owners. In July, September and March 1,000 native seedlings were provided for planting throughout Maitland. In addition, 240 seedlings were provided to rural property owners as a part of the Rural Seedling Distribution Program.
Garden Organics Collection The joint councils kerbside Garden Organics collection service, a partnership between Cessnock City, Maitland City and Singleton councils, collected 7,813 tonnes of garden organics within Maitland. Garden organics are transported to a composting facility at Tea Gardens where the vegetation is shredded before being placed into wind rows for around 6 months. Temperature and moisture is checked regularly to ensure all weed seeds and pathogens are destroyed. Once the compost is mature it is sold to a range of end users including home gardeners, landscapers, farmers and viticulturists.
EXPLORE WALKA PROGRAM AT WALKA WATER WORKS
Annual Report 2018/19 101
HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED Compost giveaways Compost giveaways were held in July, November and March, with 200 bags given away at each event. The giveaway demonstrates the cycle of kerbside garden organics from collection on the kerbside, through processing, then for use as a compost and soil conditioner.
Mattress Muster The hugely popular Mattress Muster program was held in November and April at the Council Depot car park in East Maitland. The two musters resulted in the collection of 1,885 mattresses. The initiative allows residents to recycle mattresses, diverting them from landfill.
Household Chemical Collections Chemical collections provided the opportunity to dispose of unwanted household chemicals safely. The program, held in December and June, enabled over 12 tonnes of chemicals and waste materials to be collected for recycling and safe disposal. The hazardous waste collected has reduced since the opening of the community Recycling Centre (CRC) at the Mt Vincent Road Waste Management Centre. Some hazardous materials including paint, gas bottles, batteries, smoke detectors and fluorescent tubes/bulbs can be taken to the CRC daily free of charge.
DrumMUSTER The DrumMUSTER program allows residents to recycle empty, clean metal and plastic containers that are used for packaging production and animal health products. The May collection resulted in 190 containers being recycled. Collection days are well attended with an average of around 200 drums collected per year.
General recycling In addition to the above programs, Mt Vincent Road Waste Management Centre receives a number of other recyclables. In 2018/19 this included: •
19 tonnes of tyres
•
136 tonnes of concrete
•
178 tonnes of cardboard and general recyclables
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24 tonnes of oil
•
85 tonnes of eWaste
•
34 tonnes of car batteries
•
1,589 tonnes of scrap metal
•
41 tonnes of various hazardous waste materials such as paint, gas bottles, single use batteries, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fluorescent tubes and oils
•
59 tonnes of mattresses
•
1,872 tonnes of vegetation
Companion animal microchip day Maitland’s first free pet microchipping and vaccination day was held in June at Fred Harvey Oval, Woodberry. The joint event between Council and RSPCA NSW was supported by Greencross Vets, Greenhills Vets and East Maitland Vet Practice. 146 animals were vaccinated and 64 were microchipped. A further two events are planned for 2019/20.
102 Our Natural Environment
Aussie backyard bird count The annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count encourages local residents to survey their backyards and local parklands to identify bird species. Information is provided to Birds Life Australia who shares this with Council to give an overview of the common bird species within the area. In 2018, 246 counts were completed in Maitland with 12,541 birds observed and recorded. A total of 169 different bird species were recorded with the four most common bird species being Rainbow Lorikeet, Noisy Miner, Spotted Dove and Australian Magpie.
CHALLENGES Progressing the Waste Transfer Facility at Mount Vincent Road The project to construct a new waste transfer facility at Mount Vincent Road has faced delays, resulting in end of year progress seeing the development application for the facility at assessment stage. It is anticipated that the application will be considered and advised by the end of 2019, with the project included in the 2019/20 Operational Plan for continued action.
City wide waste strategy Plans to implement a Regional Waste Strategy created in partnership with Hunter Councils has been delayed.
Maitland Rural Lands Study The review of the Maitland Rural Lands Study has been delayed until 2020/21, pending the development of a Local Strategic Planning Statement, which will guide the review.
FUTURE PLANS Local Strategic Planning Statement Following amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 in March 2018, Council is preparing and implementing a Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS). The LSPS will set out a 20 year vision for land use planning in Maitland City, identify the special character and values that are to be preserved and enhanced, and explain how change will be managed into the future. It will draw together planning priorities of the State, Hunter Region, Greater Newcastle metropolitan area and Council’s own priorities in the Maitland 10+ CSP 2018-2028, explaining how these priorities will be delivered and implemented.
HOUSEHOLD CHEMICAL COLLECTIONS WASTE MANAGEMENT CENTRE
Annual Report 2018/19 103
A PROSPEROUS AND VIBRANT CITY A delightful mixture of big business and that small town feel, Maitland has a wide range of precincts offering a variety of goods and services. Achieving a balance between local activity centres and major shopping precincts, ensuring service provision keeps pace with growth, and developing employment to meet the requirements of all local residents requires the ongoing cooperation of Council, state government agencies, local businesses and our residents. This was an area identified through council’s citizen engagement process, the depth of community feeling on the need to reignite the Central Business District was made clear. Hence The Levee Development Component One was opened to the public in 2015 with the second component of the project delivered in 2018. A hive of activity, the lifestyle precinct offers a range of entertainment and dining options, a blend of small business and national retail stores, and professional services such as banks, solicitors and accountants. The major shopping precincts of The Levee, Greenhills and Rutherford, combined with the light industrial and bulky goods centres in Thornton and Rutherford, give locals the opportunity to meet shopping requirements without having to travel beyond the city limits. At the same time, residents can still shop locally with business centres in suburbs such as Morpeth, Thornton, Chisholm, Gillieston Heights, Lorn, East Maitland and Lochinvar.
OVERVIEW
1
4 Outcomes
2 17 COMMUNITY STRATEGIES
3 31 objectives
4 33 actions for 2018/19
Delivered via
3 Service Areas
104 A Prosperous and Vibrant City
A unique sense of identity and place is found within our villages, suburbs, towns and City Centre. Our growing economy is evolving to become more innovative and diversified to support job growth and economic stability. Maitland is seen as a desirable place to live, an easy place to work, a welcoming place to visit and a wise place to invest.
Central Maitland is the vibrant heart of our city, creating a strong sense of pride within the community.
SUMMARY OF 2018/19 ACTIONS
20 Complete
11 In progress
2 Deferred
A prosperous and vibrant city is... focused on ensuring contemporary transport and telecommunications infrastructure, a sense of identity in villages, suburbs and the city centre, Maitland as a great place to live, work, visit and invest and Central Maitland as the vibrant heart of the City
SHOPPING AT MAITLAND REGIONAL ART GALLERY
Annual Report 2018/19 105
A PROSPEROUS AND VIBRANT CITY HIGHLIGHTS Riverlink building wins award The Riverlink Building continues to receive recognition with the architecture and design team from CHROFI with McGregor Coxall winning a prestigious Blueprint Award in the ‘Best Public-Use Project with Public Funding’ category in October. The coveted awards are convened each year by the bimonthly British magazine Blueprint to recognise and celebrate the very best of architecture and design around the world. In November, The Riverlink Building was also judged winner of the Civic and Community – Completed Building category at the 2018 World Architecture Festival Awards. The Riverlink Building, was completed in April 2018 as part of The Levee redevelopment, a $9.92 million project funded by the NSW Government’s Restart NSW Resources for Regions program. The building has quickly become a focal point for residents, hosting Santa over the pre-Christmas period and the ‘Staging Colours’ open mic stage, encouraging local artists to perform in the space, running from March to May.
Slow Food Earth Market recognised The Maitland Slow Food Earth Markets were the 2018 winner of the International Gigi Frassanito award at the Earth Market Summit held in Turin, Italy. Held on the first and third Thursday of the month at The Levee, the market, which showcases local produce, has continued its success as one of over 60 Earth Markets Worldwide and the first of its kind in Australia. Council has worked closely with Slow Food Hunter Valley in the form of promotion, operational guidance and approvals, established through a memorandum of understanding, to deliver produce markets in The Levee. Slow Food Hunter Valley reported strong uptake of their offering by the public, in turn supporting local farmers and highlighting the Slow Food movement.
Destination Management Plan Maitland attracts 686,000 visitors per year, supports 1,293 jobs and brings around $96 million in expenditure. To grow our visitor economy, development commenced on a Destination Management Plan which will link to the broader Destination Management Plan for Sydney Surrounds North. The plan will consider feedback received from the community on what would make the city more attractive to visitors. It will forecast visitor markets, provide solutions to the challenges faced in supporting sustainable visitor growth and identify product development and infrastructure opportunities to attract investment and economic growth, including increased local employment. It will also support future funding bids for specific projects and assist in building stronger local community awareness of the importance and value of Maitland’s visitor economy. Activities to date include a comprehensive visitor economy product audit to determine gaps and opportunities;
106 A Prosperous and Vibrant City
stakeholder engagement including community, local tourism operators, businesses and industry; revision of ideas for the draft plan. Future activities will be in consultation with key stakeholders. The community will have an opportunity to provide feedback once the draft plan is placed on public exhibition and, once endorsed, implementation is planned to commence in 2020.
Grant funding supports Gaol works A number of maintenance works have been undertaken on the Gaol following successful application for a Public Reserves Management Fund Program grant in the amount of $524,341. The works include roof repairs, structural integrity report, stonework safety audit and repairs including replacement of the chimney on the Chapel. Further stone works are scheduled for the façade of A Wing once appropriate replacement stone can be sourced. Works are expected to finalise by early 2020. This work will initiate a long term safety program of upgrades to the physical infrastructure on the site.
Feedback sought on Gaol’s future direction Following appointment as the Crown Land Manager for Maitland Gaol, Council reached out to the community to assist in shaping the future direction and long term operation of the historic site. The appointment represents a pivotal change in the way the site can potentially be operated and developed. Consultation feedback will help to influence the future direction of Maitland Gaol and provide valuable information for the development a five year Business Plan and Site Master Plan which is currently being prepared and should be finalized by early 2020.
Central Maitland tenant mix Implementation of the Central Maitland Tenant Mix Strategy actions progressed with many of the outcomes being delivered and actions reported on. Business prospecting continued with visits to various areas in the Hunter focusing on cafés, small bars and boutique retailers where discussions were held with owners about the opportunities in Maitland. Micromex was commissioned by Council to undertake the final patterns of usage survey to complement the 2014 and 2016 studies. This is to determine the ideal tenant mix and to understand what motivates Maitland residents to visit leisure and lifestyle areas. The results inform how we move forward with business attraction strategies for Central Maitland.
HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED Morpeth activation
Support for events
Various tasks that supported actions from the Morpeth Business Review and Development Plan were completed or implemented over the year.
Council continued to work with a number of organisations that were looking for support in the bidding and hosting of events and activities to support Maitland’s visitor economy.
Council staff engaged local businesses on the development of the Destination Management Plan and Morpeth was promoted in Council’s Meander publication.
A range of meetings were held with interested stakeholders, with Council open to assisting in the attraction and delivery of events that highlight Maitland as a visitor destination.
The Morpeth business group ‘ It Must be Morpeth’, were supported through printing, design and content for various Morpeth based collateral and Council staff collaborated closely with business groups on the development of an additional Morpeth photo suite to provide further opportunity for Morpeth businesses to develop promotional material.
Support of, and bids for, a range of sporting and cultural events were undertaken including Toranafest 2019, two A-League Trial Matches, NRL Trial Match, Round 7 of the MX National’s and the BMX NSW State Championships.
Highlights of the past twelve months include professional photo shoots, production of DL brochures, printing and delivery of posters, social media posts, event listings, and provision of business development training as defined in the Plan.
Place activation brings spaces to life Place Activation initiatives incorporate the four pillars of After Dark, Repurpose, Interpretation and Street Art. Activities were delivered in a range of locations including Morpeth, Lorn, Gillieston Heights, East Maitland and Central Maitland. Implementation resulted in the activation of laneways, parks and streets and included events, food truck meets ups, temporary installations and semipermanent artworks.
Walls that Talk The exterior of Maitland Library was the backdrop for a series of Walls that Talk exhibitions in 2018/19 including ‘Botanical Beginnings’, which featured illustrations of endemic flora, ‘Magic Pudding’, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the best known book by Norman Lindsay and a selection of animal photography as part of the ‘Maitland International Salon of Photography’. The walkway leading to the library entrance also featured an exhibition of ‘Beautiful words’, a selection of words from the Macquarie Dictionary that evoke beauty in both the sound of the utterance and the poetry of their definition.
After Dark: Winter Solstice In June over 2,500 people attended the After Dark: Winter Solstice festival at The Levee. The program included open fires, fire performances, entertainment, activities and hearty food warming the streets with a fireworks display closing the event that were used following the reschedule of the New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Street Eats Following the successful pilot of the Street Eats Program in 2017 there was continued success of the mobile food program at locations across Maitland, East Maitland, Raworth, Rutherford, Morpeth, Gillieston Heights, Thornton and Chisholm including the roll out of the Street Eats Winter program. Mobile food vans provided diverse food offerings, added a unique experience in the public domain and supported greater opportunities for community connections across the city.
Annual Report 2018/19 107
CHALLENGES
FUTURE PLANS
Economic Development Strategy
Framework for volunteers
The creation of an Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan was delayed to prioritise the completion of the Destination Management Plan. Over the period staff worked on increasing understanding of smart cities and innovation principles adopted elsewhere and considered how these might apply in Maitland. Research was also undertaken to support the development of a program of corporate knowledge building.
Volunteers support for the delivery of a number of service areas to the community. During 2019/20 Council will develop a contemporary corporate volunteer policy and framework to ensure continued attraction of volunteers and appropriate management of activities delivered by volunteers.
Smart City Pilot Over the next year Council will undertake a smart cities pilot initiative which will include a scoping study to identify opportunities for digital innovation across Council’s services and facilities including recommendations for consideration by management. A smart city is a municipality that uses information and communication technologies to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare such as intelligent transport systems and digital literacy programs.
Night time events Council is continuing to develop and host events that support growth of a night time economy in the city. A number of activations were held in 2018/19 including Riverlights Multicultural Festival, After Dark – Winter Solstice and the growth and expansion of Street Eats into new sites and evening get togethers. In future Council is set to develop a night time economy plan for Central Maitland as part of the overall Economic Development Strategy.
108 A Prosperous and Vibrant City
LIVE AT THE LEVEE IN CENTRAL MAITLAND
Annual Report 2018/19 109
Connected and collaborative leaders is... focused on ensuring the connection of all leaders across the community, ensuring community participation in government decision making, Council is efficient and effective and a Council for now and future generations
MAITLAND CITY COUNCIL’S BUSINESS LEADERS LUNCH
110 Connected and Collaborative Community leaders
CONNECTED AND COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY LEADERS Identifying, connecting and enhancing all forms of leadership across our community emerged as priorities during the development of our ten year community strategic plan. From the traditional models of leadership being vested in our elected councillors or members of parliament at State and Federal Government levels, through to leaders in business, community and volunteer groups, our community recognises the great value of these people, and the even further potential of our leaders working together to achieve great things for the Maitland community. Council also heard from the community seeking to become more involved in Council’s own decision making, seeking new ways to stay informed and. Council recognises the significant part it has to play in facilitating both conversation and connections, as well as ensuring our management is focused on delivering services to meet the needs of the community now and in the future.
OVERVIEW
1
4 Outcomes
12 COMMUNITY STRATEGIES 15 objectives
2
Our community’s diverse leaders are identified and connected.
Meaningful, informed and genuine community participation is active in decision making at all levels of government.
3
An efficient and effective Council that listens and responds to community needs.
4
A reputable and performance driven Council focused on the future of our city.
56 actions for 2018/19 SUMMARY OF 2018/19 ACTIONS
Delivered via 39 Complete
15 In progress
2 Deferred
1 Service Areas
Annual Report 2018/19 111
CONNECTED AND COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY LEADERS HIGHLIGHTS Business Leaders connect
Citizen Engagement
A series of business leader functions are provided each year, with the three delivered in 2018/19 attracting between 50 and 70 people at each event. These events provide a valuable opportunity for business leaders to connect with each other, and with Council staff, and to hear about Council initiatives.
Ensuring Council’s activities are underpinned by appropriate engagement with our citizens is essential in ensuring fit, sustainable local government. Throughout the year feedback was sought on a range of projects and services, including:
Lunch and breakfast events were hosted by Council’s General Manager, David Evans, who presented on infrastructure projects and significant Council happenings. The breakfast event was also supported by renowned social entrepreneur Peter Kenyon, who was engaged as part of Small Business Month to represent the topic ‘Keeping the tills ringing’. Not only have the functions resulted in connections between Council and the business community, they have enabled key stakeholder engagement for important projects including the Destination Management Plan and Gaol Business Plan and Site Master Plan.
City Trader networking Visitor economy and Central Maitland trader relationships were fostered during the year through a trader function at Christmas. The event was well attended and saw a number of new faces join the celebration and connect with other commercial operators. An introduction of businesses to the Newcastle Business Centre advisor and services provided an opportunity for a number of businesses to review their operations, consider how they adapt to current consumer trends and understand the importance of partnering with government support agencies. Over 60 businesses attended three Destination Management Plan engagement workshops, which opened opportunities for operators to get to know their industry peers and collectively workshop ideas for the future growth of the visitor economy in Maitland.
Government relationships fostered Each year Council is involved in numerous meetings at the regional, state and federal level to strengthen connections and advocate for Maitland. This includes membership of the Hunter Joint Organisation of Councils which meets bi-monthly to discuss various issues within the Hunter area.
•
Biennial Community Satisfaction Survey and associated focus groups
•
Central Maitland Parking Study
•
Customer Experience Review
•
Destination Management Plan
•
Revised Delivery Program 2018-2021 and Operational Plan 2019/20
•
Hausmann Drive Road Upgrade
•
Library Services Review
•
Lower Hunter Spotted Gum Ironbark Forest
•
Maitland Gaol Business Plan and Site Master Plan
•
Maitland Park Future Amenities Building
•
O’Hearn Street Park in Tenambit
•
Maitland Urban Settlement Strategy review
•
Rutherford Shred Skate Park project
•
Future direction of Maitland’s Seniors Festival
•
Stage 2 Walka Water Works Interpretation Plan
•
Willow Park Drive in Metford.
Opportunities for feedback were provided via the Maitland Your Say booth at key events, the engagement website maitlandyoursay.com.au, hardcopy and interactive surveys, stakeholder discussions, and opportunities for submissions. Over 3,440 people actively participated in these projects via the above engagement methods.
During the period Scot McDonald, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, the Central Coast and the Hunter attended a tree planting at Ministers Park, and the Mayor and General Manager attended the National General Assembly Conference in Canberra.
112 Connected and Collaborative Community leaders
MAITLAND TOWN HALL
Annual Report 2018/19 113
CONNECTED AND COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY LEADERS Biennial Community Survey
Volunteer Awards
The community’s level of satisfaction with the delivery of Council services and facilities is monitored through a Biennial Community Survey.
Volunteers provide invaluable support in the delivery of events, exhibitions and community initiatives. In December, the annual Maitland City Council Volunteer Service Award ceremony recognised Alan Todd for his long term involvement with Morpeth Museum. Alan has been involved in the Museum for over ten years and has assisted with exhibitions and running tours. He currently the Chairman of the Management Committee and Secretary.
The latest survey was undertaken by independent research company IRIS Research from December 2018 to January 2019. A phone survey of 645 Maitland residents and an online survey open to all residents were supported by focus groups held throughout January. Participants discussed a range of areas including satisfaction with the delivery of 31 identified services and facilities of Council. Results showed that the community’s level of satisfaction with Council services and facilities remained steady over the past two years. All 31 services retained or exceeded satisfaction results when compared with the 2016 survey and demonstrated a strong desire from the community to support local business and job opportunities, physical planning for Maitland now and for the future, and promoting and developing Maitland as a place to visit and invest. A full report of the survey is available at maitland.nsw.gov.au
Customer Experience Review Council engaged external consultants Think Startup to undertake a Customer Experience Review to ensure Council continues to meet community expectations The review was supported by extensive internal engagement along with community surveys and focus groups. The project is due for completion in September 2019.
Citizen of the year Local journalist and drought crisis advocate Belinda-Jane Davis was recognised as Maitland’s Citizen of the Year during Australia Day celebrations in January. Belinda-Jane has written important stories of people on the land in a unique way that has contributed towards building a strong, supportive community around our farmers. In 2018 she won a Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism for her drought campaign ‘The Big Dry’ and helped start the huge ‘Buy a Bail’ campaign. Young Citizen of the Year was awarded to Kelci Brain, a member of St John Ambulance (NSW) - Maitland Cadet Division for over four years. Kelci, at 15 years old, has proficiently climbed the ranks as a cadet, completed over 800 volunteer hours with the organisation and plans to study to become a qualified paramedic on the completion of high school.
Other nominees recognised for their contributions included Andrea Pugh, Lynn Morris and Nerryn Bennett. Andrea is a Gallery Committee member and the Volunteer Events Coordinator, and has been responsible for the planning, promotion and delivery of many MRAG Member events and trips; Lynn has represented the National Trust of Australia and been part of the Maitland City Heritage Group for nearly 15 years; and Nerryn has been part of the Gallery’s Events team for over five years, working hundreds of hours behind the scenes to deliver events.
City of Maitland Service Award Thousands of people volunteer in Maitland for numerous organisation’s across the city. Volunteers help some of our city’s most disadvantaged, support and run local clubs, facilitate a range of community events and support the delivery of local services. In June, Corinne Frost was announced as the 2019 recipient of the City of Maitland Service Award. Corinne has been involved with The Mai-Wel Group for nearly 15 years and began by assisting people with a disability living at home with getting out and participating in activities and hobbies. She has also established an Adult Literacy and Numeracy Program which is taught weekly, and in 2014 she received the Frank Higgs Volunteer of the Year Award, named after Mai-Wel’s longest serving board member. Alexandra Haggarty (Carrie’s Place Domestic Violence and Homelessness Services Inc.), Bailey Maier (Rutherford Telarah Rotary - Maitland), Gail Johnston (Grossmann & Brough House National Trust of Australia NSW), Stephen Schumacher (Maitland Region Suicide Prevention Network) and Vicki Osborn (Maitland & Beyond Family History Inc) were also nominated for the City of Maitland Service Award. While there was no City of Maitland Medal presented, local rugby league club the Aberglasslyn RLFC was recognised for its nomination.
Hall of Fame inductees 2019 Hall of Fame inductees were announced in June at a ceremony at Maitland Regional Art Gallery. The Maitland City Hall of Fame program, established in 2016, currently includes over 40 people from all walks of life including visionary artists, great sportsmen and women, influential politicians, successful entrepreneurs and brilliant academics. 2019 inductees included historian Peter Bogan, playwright Nicholas Enright, sports broadcaster Gary Harley, cricketer Colin Johnston and athlete Melinda Thompson.
114 Connected and Collaborative Community leaders
HIGHLIGHTS (CONTINUED) Corporate Website enhancements
Grant Opportunities
Council’s website enhancement project provided for the redevelopment of the property certificates webform and administration process, and the improvement of the public exhibition pages to include scheduling, attachments and more structured page layouts.
Each year Council seeks opportunities to access funding to support strategic infrastructure projects outside of its capital works programme. Government funding has supported a number of additional projects including the development of The Levee, the upgrade of No. 1 Sportsground, the refurbishment of the Town Hall, and works on Athel D’Ombrain Drive and the adjacent transport interchange.
Improved functionality was implemented for the Hall of Fame awards, ground closures, work vacancy notifications and the addition of a calendar view on the ‘what’s on’ page. New functionality improved the efficiency of communicating ground closure information to the public, reducing data entry time from one hour to around two minutes. Further enhancements will digitise the assessment of grounds and improve the communication of ground status updates. The successful completion of the project lays the groundwork for additional enhancements to be made over time that will assist the end user and lead to productivity gains for the organisation.
New corporate system development continues Further development was undertaken with vendor SolOrient to further develop the new corporate system. Over the year Stage 1 implementation was completed, which involved replacing the former corporate system and maintaining data. Stage 2 development commenced which involves identifying current processes for actioning data flow and work flowing these into new platforms for intuitive process management. The main aim of the new system is to enhance efficiencies and provide consistency in operations through work flow activities as well as provide access via various devices including smartphones and tablets.
This year Council has been successful in attaining $5.2 million through the Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund to deliver the $8.5 million Maitland Regional Sports Hub expansion and upgrade project. The project will enable a number of different codes to use the site, support the regular hosting of national standard matches and major events, promote increased participation in sport, and bring regional social and economic benefits. It will provide provide carparking, new fencing, a fitness track and equipment, amphitheatre seating, new LED scoreboard and lighting upgrade for Maitland No. 1 Sportsground. Funding received through the Stronger Country Communities Fund, announced in September, has provided $1.8 million to deliver six projects. Projects include the delivery of upgrades (installation of shade structures) at four local playgrounds, provision of fencing and mowing strips at A&D Lawrence Oval, upgrade of change rooms at Lochinvar Sports Complex, construction of a car park at Metford Recreation Reserve, provision of additional lighting at Maitland Croquet courts 3 and 4 and upgrades to seven netball courts at Maitland Park.
2018 VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS WITH COUNCIL’S GENERAL MANAGER DAVID EVANS PSM
Annual Report 2018/19 115
HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED
CHALLENGES
Maitland City Administration Centre
Maintaining pace of infrastructure development with community growth
Over the last ten years the existing administration building has been outgrown, with staff spread across a range of sites which are now at capacity. Council has also been progressively upgrading the Maitland Town Hall, which is in need of improvements to accessibility, to the Council Chamber, to the Town Hall stage change rooms and loading dock, to the Town Hall kitchen and to parking. This year, Council lodged a development application to progress the development of a new fit for purpose Administration Centre for Maitland City Council and the City, which will be linked to an upgraded Town Hall and supported by new parking and site improvements. Council staff will now engage consultants to prepare detailed design and construction documentation.
Council joins Regional Cities NSW Council joined the Regional Cities NSW (RCNSW) group, which comprises Albury City, Armidale Regional, Bathurst Regional, Dubbo Regional, Orange City, Tamworth Regional and Wagga Wagga City councils. The councils, who share similar opportunities and challenges for growth and investment, will work collaboratively to achieve improved outcomes and opportunities for regional NSW.
Staff learning opportunities The annual Corporate Training plan of compliance training and skills development opportunities was delivered throughout the year. The plan covered the requirement to appropriately train staff for areas that have legislative or regulatory requirements, with a large portion related to Work Health & Safety training. Fifteen staff were sponsored through the educational and professional development program and we welcomed four administrative trainees and four new apprentices.
Delivery Program progress On the Move provided regular monitoring and reporting on progress against Council’s Delivery Program and annual Operational Plan. The report overviewed service and project delivery highlights during the periods April to September and October to March and provided an opportunity to raise awareness of the services Council delivered to our community.
Council is proactive in seeking opportunities for funding to support the development of key infrastructure, including transport, economic, social and recreational, that supports community growth. Over $12 million was received from the State and Federal governments during the year to deliver projects and programs including Cessnock Road Cycleway, Maitland Regional Athletics Complex, Bakers Brickyard Playground and Maitland Regional Sports Hub. Unfortunately other funding requests, such as the Thornton Precinct Road Network Upgrade (Stage 1 – Thornton Road / Glenwood Drive Intersection upgrade), remain unfunded. Council staff will continue to develop and submit applications that deliver key benefits for the community.
FUTURE PLANS
Councillor professional development program A professional development program for Councillors will commence in 2019/20, in accordance with changes to the Local Government Act 1993. The program will be developed in consultation with councillors and delivered over the term of council to build skills, knowledge and personal attributes. Professional development activities will be included in future annual reporting.
Youth Participation Project Council has successfully secured a $1,500 grant to deliver a Youth Participation Project. The project will engage a youth committee to develop youth driven engagement to identify how young people want to be involved in Council decision making and how they want to be engaged. This project will be completed by December 2019 with results informing an engagement plan for youth and the Community Engagement Framework.
Maitland +10 Review A review of Maitland +10, our community’s long term strategic plan, will commence in 2019/20. The review will mark 10 years since the Community Strategic Plan was first developed, under the brand Maitland 2021. The Plan captures what our community would like for our city and how we will work together to achieve these goals. Maitland +10 is reviewed every four years, or with each new Council term. While the document is always looking at least ten years ahead, the plan guides Council’s priorities for the term through the development of a long term Resourcing Strategy (including workforce, asset management, financial management and information and communication technology), a four year Delivery Program and annual Operational Plans.
116 Connected and Collaborative Community leaders
FINANCIAL INFORMATION Council’s audited financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2019 were prepared in accordance with the requirements of Section 413 of the Local Government Act, 1993 and audited by Council’s auditors, Audit Office of New South Wales. Copies of the following relevant reports are provided: •
Income statement
•
Statement of comprehensive income
•
Statement of financial position
•
Statement of changes in equity
•
Statement of cash flows
•
Note 19 Material budget variations
•
Auditors’ reports.
The net operating result for the year before grants and contributions provided for capital purposes is a deficit of $5,964,000 compared to a surplus of $3,338,000 for the previous year. The operating result has largely been impacted by: •
Rates increase of 7.25% for the year, in line with the approved Special Rate Variation
•
Increase in materials and contract expenses of $7.8 million largely in relation to raw materials and consumables and waste disposal costs
•
Decrease in non-cash dedications of $6.1 million.
The statement of cash flows has been impacted by: •
Increase in cash provided by rates and annual charges $8.4 million
•
Decrease in purchases of infrastructure, property, plant and equipment $4.1 million
•
Decrease in new loans drawn down in the current year of $10.3 million
•
Decrease in cash provided for grants and contributions $7.8 million.
A detailed analysis of the financial result is contained in the attached Auditors reports.
Annual Report 2018/19 117
Maitland City Council Income Statement for the year ended 30 June 2019 Original unaudited budget 2019 $'000
Notes
Actual 2019 $'000
Actual 2018 $'000
Income from continuing operations 77,726 8,109 3,931 2,420 9,968 16,326 118,480 36,543 1,875 30,248 20,014 11,323 -
Revenue:
Rates and annual charges User charges and fees Interest and investment revenue Other revenues Grants and contributions provided for operating purposes Grants and contributions provided for capital purposes
3a 3b 3c 3d 3e,f 3e,f
79,344 8,561 4,685 3,286 10,445 46,008
Net share of interests in joint ventures and associates using the equity method
15
-
Other Income:
Total income from continuing operations Expenses from continuing operations Employee benefits and on-costs Borrowing costs Materials and contracts Depreciation and amortisation Other expenses Interest and investment losses Net loss from the disposal of assets Net share of interests in joint ventures and associates using the equity method
73,084 8,376 3,676 2,860 11,820 55,273 347
152,329
155,436
4a 4b 4c 4d 4e 3c 5
37,002 1,618 33,599 22,088 11,931 5,991
34,520 1,556 25,833 20,714 10,981 3,221
15
56
-
100,003
Total expenses from continuing operations
112,285
96,825
18,477
Operating result from continuing operations
40,044
58,611
-
-
-
Operating result from discontinued operations
18,477
Net operating result for the year
40,044
58,611
18,477 -
Attributable to: - Council - Non-controlling interests
40,044 -
58,611 -
Net operating result for the year before grants and contributions provided for capital purposes
(5,964)
3,338
2,151
The above Income statement should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.
118 Maitland City Council
Maitland City Council Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year ended 30 June 2019
Notes Net operating result for the year - from income statement
2019 $'000
2018 $'000
40,044
58,611
45,662
2,583
-
-
-
-
-
-
Total other comprehensive income for the year
45,662
2,583
Total comprehensive income for the year
85,706
61,194
Attributable to - Council - Non-controlling interests
85,706 -
61,194 -
Other comprehensive income Amounts which will not be reclassified subsequently to operating result Gain (loss) on revaluation of infrastructure, property, plant and equipment Amounts which will be reclassified subsequently to operating result when specific conditions are met Gain (loss) on revaluation of available-for-sale investments Realised available-for-sale investment gains(losses) recognised in operating result Gain (loss) on revaluation of equity instruments through other comprehensive income
The above Statement of comprehensive income should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.
Annual Report 2018/19 119
Maitland City Council Statement of Financial Position as at 30 June 2019
ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents Investments Receivables Inventories Other
Notes
2019 $'000
2018 $'000
18,254 107,359 7,221 397 -
8,115 89,868 6,362 381 52
133,231
104,778
30,613 1,110,777 619 575
46,749 1,032,030 557 632
Total non-current assets
1,142,584
1,079,968
Total assets
1,275,815
1,184,746
10,954 6,305 13,606
7,601 56 5,770 12,521
30,865
25,948
39,747 13,077
39,243 13,135
Total non-current liabilities
52,824
52,378
Total liabilities
83,689
78,326
1,192,126
1,106,420
869,978 322,148 1,192,126 -
829,934 276,486 1,106,420 -
1,192,126
1,106,420
6a 6b 7 8 8
Total current assets Non-current assets Investments Receivables Infrastructure, property, plant and equipment Intangible assets Investments accounted for using equity method
LIABILITIES Current liabilities Payables Income received in advance Borrowings Provisions
6b 7 9 10 15
11 11 11 12
Total current liabilities Non-current liabilities Borrowings Provisions
11 12
Net assets EQUITY Accumulated surplus Revaluations reserves Other reserves Council interest Non-controlling equity interest Total equity
13
The above Statement of Financial Position should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.
120 Maitland City Council
Annual Report 2018/19 121 -
322,148
45,662
40,044
869,978
-
-
-
45,662
-
-
-
-
40,044
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Other reserves
1,192,126
-
85,706
-
45,662
-
-
40,044
1,106,420
-
-
-
1,106,420
Council equity interest
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Noncontrolling interest
The above Statement of changes in equity should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.
Closing balance
Transfers between equity items
Total comprehensive income
Net operating result for the year Other comprehensive income Gain (loss) on revaluation of available-for-sale investments Gain (loss) on revalution of equity instruments through other comprehensive income Gain (loss) on revaluation of infrastructure, property, plant and equipment Correction of errors in previous years
276,486
-
-
Changes in accounting policies
829,934
-
-
Changes due to AASB 9 (note 13)
Restated opening balance
-
276,486
-
829,934
Correction of errors
Opening balance
IPP&E Accumulated revaluation surplus reserve
2019 $'000
1,192,126
-
85,706
-
45,662
-
-
40,044
1,106,420
-
-
-
1,106,420
Total Equity
Statement of Changes in Equity for the year ended 30 June 2019
Maitland City Council
829,934
-
58,611
-
-
-
-
58,611
771,323
-
-
-
771,323
Accumulated surplus
276,486
-
2,583
-
2,583
-
-
-
273,903
-
-
-
273,903
IPP&E revaluation reserve
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Other reserves
2018 $'000
1,106,420
-
61,194
-
2,583
-
-
58,611
1,045,226
-
-
-
1,045,226
Council equity interest
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Noncontrolling interest
1,106,420
-
61,194
-
2,583
-
-
58,611
1,045,226
-
-
-
1,045,226
Total Equity
Maitland City Council Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 30 June 2019 Original unaudited budget 2019 $'000
Notes
Actual 2019 $'000
Actual 2018 $'000
Cash flows from operating activities 77,539 8,101 3,918 26,464 2,504 36,543 28,940 1,785 11,323 39,935
Receipts:
Rates and annual charges User charges and fees Investment revenue and interest Grants and contributions Other
Payments:
Employee benefits and on-costs Materials and contracts Borrowing costs Other Net cash provided by (or used in) operating activities
14(b)
79,100 9,327 4,909 29,979 2,933
70,608 8,832 3,661 37,852 3,074
36,089 30,348 1,677 12,725 45,409
34,360 31,702 1,345 10,595 46,025
98,445 -
85,537 299
99,800 34,954 (36,309)
104,717 39,120 (58,001)
6,800
17,166
5,761 1,039
4,484 12,682
10,139
706
8,115
7,409
18,254
8,115
Cash flows from investing activities 86,500 80,006 47,794 (41,300)
Receipts:
Sale of investments Sale of infrastructure, property, plant and equipment
Payments:
Purchase of investments Purchase of infrastructure, property, plant and equipment Net cash provided by (or used in) investing activities Cash flow from financing activities
7,184 5,819 1,365 0 8,115 8,115
Receipts:
Proceeds from borrowings and advances
Payments:
Repayment of borrowings and advances Net cash provided by (or used in) financing activities Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at end of reporting period 14(a)
The above Cash flow statement should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.
122 Maitland City Council
Maitland City Council Notes to the financial statements 30 June 2019
Note 19
Material budget variations
Council's original budget was adopted by the Council on 12 June 2018 and is not required to be audited. The original projections on which the budget was based have been affected by a number of factors. These include State and Federal Government decisions including new grant programs, changing economic activity, the weather, and by decisions made by the Council. While these general purpose financial statements include the original budget adopted by Council, the Local Government Act requires Council to review its financial budget on a quarterly basis so it is able to manage the variation between actuals and budget that invariiably occur during the year. Material variations of more than 10% between original budget and actual results are explained below: Revenues 1. Interest and Investment Revenue Actual amounts of investment revenue received were above budget by $754K (19.2%). The variation is due to Council having additional funds available during the year for investment over this period when compared to the estimated investment funds that was budgeted for investment purposes. 2. Other Revenues Actual other revenues received were over budget by $866K (35.8%). Council received additional revenues for recycling $110K, rentals $164K and legal fees recovered $214K when compared to budget. 3. Grants and contributions provided for capital purposes Actual capital grants and contributions received were over budget by $29.7M (181.8%). Non cash dedications were received for roads, bridges and footpaths ($16.4M), drainage ($5.9M), land ($2.9M) and artworks ($629K) that were not budgeted for as they could not be reliably estimated. Expenses 1. Borrowing Costs Borrowing costs were under budget by $257K (13.7%). This was the result of deferring the draw down of borrowing until later in the financial year coupled with the lower rates on the new loan drawn in the year. 2. Materials and Contracts Materials and contracts were over budget by $3.5M (11.8%). During the year Council paid developers $5.3M to upgrade a state controled road and intersection funded from s711 contributions. The amount was expensed as it was incurred on a state controlled road. 3. Depreciation and Amortisation Depreciation and amortisation were over budget by $2.1M (10.4%). Council took control of Crown assets as a result of the Crown Reserves Management Act amendments where certain Crown assets were vested in Council. This resulted in an addition depreciation expense of $1M which was not in the the orginal budget. 4. Net Loss from the disposal of assets Council showed a total loss on the disposal of assets in 2018/19 of $5.9M. This included a profit of $397K resulting from excellent trade-in prices being received on a number of items of plant and equipment. These gains were offset, however, by losses of $6.3M from the disposal of roads, footpaths and drainage, resulting from removing and replacing existing roads, footpaths and drainage in the asset ledger as rehabilitation works are performed. Budgets were not made for any of these items as they could not be reliably estimated.
Page 50
Annual Report 2018/19 123
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT Report on the general purpose financial statements Maitland City Council
To the Councillors of the Maitland City Council
Opinion I have audited the accompanying financial statements of Maitland City Council (the Council), which comprise the Income Statement and Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year ended 30 June 2019, the Statement of Financial Position as at 30 June 2019, the Statement of Changes in Equity and Statement of Cash Flows for the year then ended, notes comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information, and the Statement by Councillors and Management. In my opinion: •
the Council’s accounting records have been kept in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 1993, Chapter 13, Part 3, Division 2 (the Division)
•
the financial statements: -
have been presented, in all material respects, in accordance with the requirements of this Division
-
are consistent with the Council’s accounting records
-
present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Council as at 30 June 2019, and of its financial performance and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards
•
all information relevant to the conduct of the audit has been obtained
•
no material deficiencies in the accounting records or financial statements have come to light during the audit.
My opinion should be read in conjunction with the rest of this report.
Basis for Opinion I conducted my audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. My responsibilities under the standards are described in the ‘Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements’ section of my report. I am independent of the Council in accordance with the requirements of the: •
Australian Auditing Standards
•
Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board’s APES 110 ‘Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants’ (APES 110).
I have fulfilled my other ethical responsibilities in accordance with APES 110.
124 Maitland City Council
Parliament promotes independence by ensuring the Auditor-General and the Audit Office of New South Wales are not compromised in their roles by: •
providing that only Parliament, and not the executive government, can remove an Auditor-General
•
mandating the Auditor-General as auditor of councils
•
precluding the Auditor-General from providing non-audit services.
I believe the audit evidence I have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my audit opinion.
Other Information The Council’s annual report for the year ended 30 June 2019 includes other information in addition to the financial statements and my Independent Auditor’s Report thereon. The Councillors are responsible for the other information. At the date of this Independent Auditor’s Report, the other information I have received comprise the special purpose financial statements and Special Schedules (the Schedules). My opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information. Accordingly, I do not express any form of assurance conclusion on the other information. However, as required by the Local Government Act 1993, I have separately expressed an opinion on the special purpose financial statements and Special Schedule - Permissible income for general rates. In connection with my audit of the financial statements, my responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or my knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If, based on the work I have performed, I conclude there is a material misstatement of the other information, I must report that fact. I have nothing to report in this regard.
The Councillors’ Responsibilities for the Financial Statements The Councillors are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and the Local Government Act 1993, and for such internal control as the Councillors determine is necessary to enable the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the Councillors are responsible for assessing the Council’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting except where the Council will be dissolved or amalgamated by an Act of Parliament, or otherwise cease operations.
Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements My objectives are to: •
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error
•
issue an Independent Auditor’s Report including my opinion.
Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but does not guarantee an audit conducted in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards will always detect material misstatements. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error. Misstatements are considered material if, individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions users take based on the financial statements.
Annual Report 2018/19 125
A description of my responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located at the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board website at: www.auasb.gov.au/auditors_responsibilities/ar4.pdf. The description forms part of my auditor’s report. My opinion does not provide assurance: •
that the Council carried out its activities effectively, efficiently and economically
•
on the Original Budget information included in the Income Statement, Statement of Cash Flows, and Note 19 Material budget variations
•
on the Special Schedules. A separate opinion has been provided on Special Schedule - Permissible income for general rates
•
about the security and controls over the electronic publication of the audited financial statements on any website where they may be presented
•
about any other information which may have been hyperlinked to/from the financial statements.
Furqan Yousuf Delegate of the Auditor-General for New South Wales
26 November 2019 SYDNEY
126 Maitland City Council
Cr Loretta Baker Mayor Maitland City Council PO Box 220 Maitland NSW 2320
Contact:
Furqan Yousuf
Phone no:
02 9275 7470
Our ref:
D1927491/1758
26 November 2019 Dear Mayor
Report on the Conduct of the Audit for the year ended 30 June 2019 Maitland City Council I have audited the general purpose financial statements (GPFS) of the Maitland City Council (the Council) for the year ended 30 June 2019 as required by section 415 of the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act). I expressed an unmodified opinion on the Council’s GPFS. This Report on the Conduct of the Audit (the Report) for the Council for the year ended 30 June 2019 is issued in accordance with section 417 of the Act. This Report should be read in conjunction with my audit opinion on the GPFS issued under section 417(2) of the Act.
Annual Report 2018/19 127
INCOME STATEMENT Operating result 2019
2018
Variance
$m
$m
%
Rates and annual charges revenue
79.3
73.1
8.5
Grants and contributions revenue
56.5
67.1
10.6
Operating result for the year
40.0
58.6
31.7
Net operating result before capital grants and contributions
(6.0)
3.3
281.8
The Council’s net operating result before capital grants and contributions was a deficit of $6.0 million, which was $9.3 million lower than the 2017–18 net operating result before capital grants and contributions. The decline is mainly attributable to the increase in Council’s operational expenditure during the year. The Council’s operating result for the year was a surplus of $40.0 million, which was $18.6 million lower than the 2017–18 operating result. The movement in operating result for the year was mainly attributable to the following: •
revenue from capital grants and contributions decreased by $9.3 million or 16.8 per cent, mainly due to a decrease of $4.8 million in specific purpose capital grant revenue for the Maitland Levee Project, and decrease in revenue recognised for assets dedicated in lieu of cash contributions
•
materials and contracts expenses increased by $7.7 million or 29.8 per cent, mainly due to additional development work undertaken by the Council
•
employee benefits and on-costs increased by $2.5 million or 7.2 per cent, mainly as a result of increase in number of full-time equivalent employees from 369 to 398 and an increase in award expense
•
disposal of infrastructure assets during the year resulted in an additional loss of $2.8 million or 87.5 per cent.
Offsetting the above movements, the rates and annual charges increased by $6.2 million or 8.5 per cent, in line with the increase in the total number of rateable properties and the Council’s approved rate variation of 7.5 per cent in 2018–19.
128 Maitland City Council
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS The Council’s cash and cash equivalents was $18.2 million ($8.1 million for the year ended 30 June 2018). There was a net increase in cash and cash equivalents of $10.1 million at 30 June 2019.
•
The Council’s operating activities have consistently generated cash inflows over the past three years.
•
Net cash outflows from the investing activities represent purchase of infrastructure, property, plant and equipment of $35.0 million in 2018–19.
•
Cash inflows from financing activities represent proceeds from borrowings and advances of $1.0 million received during the year.
Net cash flows for the year
60 40 20 $ million
•
0 -20 -40 -60 -80
-100
2017
2018
2019
Year ended 30 June Operating activities Financing activities
Investing activities
3
Annual Report 2018/19 129
FINANCIAL POSITION Cash and Investments Cash and investments
2019
2018
$m
$m
External restrictions
85.5
80.9
Internal restrictions
70.7
63.9
-
-
156.2
144.8
Unrestricted Cash and investments
Commentary
•
Externally restricted cash and investments are restricted in their use by externally imposed requirements. Council’s externally restricted cash and investments have increased by $4.6 million primarily due to an increase in available cash balance relating to the developer contributions.
•
Internally restricted cash and investments have been restricted in their use by resolution or policy of Council to reflect identified programs of works and any forward plans identified by Council. The increase in the internal restrictions of $6.8 million is mainly due to an increase in cash balance restricted against year-end creditors.
Debt The Council has $46.1 million of borrowings as at 30 June 2019 (2018: $45.0 million) The Council has an accumulated drawdown facility limit of $140,000 as at 30 June 2019 (2018: $140,000) out of which $78,000 remained unutilised at the year-end.
PERFORMANCE Operating performance ratio •
The ‘operating performance ratio’ measures how well council contained operating expenditure within operating revenue (excluding capital grants and contributions, fair value adjustments, and reversal of revaluation decrements). The benchmark set by the former Office of Local Government (OLG) is greater than zero per cent.
•
The Council’s operating performance ratio of 0.08% is above the industry benchmark of zero per cent.
•
The operating performance ratio has decreased from prior year mainly due to the increase in council’s operating expenditure.
Operating performance ratio 7 6 Ratio 5 % 4 3 2 1 0
2017
2018
2019
Year ended 30 June Operating performance ratio Industry benchmark > 0%
4
130 Maitland City Council
Own source operating revenue ratio •
•
•
The ‘own source operating revenue ratio’ measures council’s fiscal flexibility and the degree to which it relies on external funding sources such as operating grants and contributions. The benchmark set by the former OLG is greater than 60 per cent. The Council’s own source operating revenue ratio of 62.9% is above the industry benchmark of 60%. This indicates that the Council has a diversified source of income and does not have an overly strong reliance on operating grants and contributions.
Own source operating revenue ratio 64 62 60 58 Ratio % 56 54 52 50 48
2017
2018
2019
Year ended 30 June Own source operating revenue ratio Industry benchmark > 60%
The Council’s own source operating revenue has improved due to the increase in rates and annual charges revenue and the decrease in revenue from grants and contributions.
Unrestricted current ratio •
•
•
The ‘unrestricted current ratio’ is specific to local government and represents council’s ability to meet its short-term obligations as they fall due. The benchmark set by the former OLG is greater than 1.5 times. The Council’s liquidity ratio of 3.74 is above the industry benchmark minimum of greater than 1.5 times. This indicates that the Council has sufficient liquidity to meet its current liabilities as and when they fall due. The Council’s unrestricted current ratio has decreased from prior year mainly due to an increase in externally restricted cash and cash equivalents.
Unrestricted current ratio 4.5 4 3.5 3 Ratio 2.5 x 2 1.5 1 0.5 0
2017
2018 Year ended 30 June
2019
Unrestricted current ratio Industry benchmark > 1.5x
5
Annual Report 2018/19 131
Debt service cover ratio •
The ‘debt service cover ratio’ measures the operating cash to service debt including interest, principal and lease payments. The benchmark set by the former OLG is greater than two times.
•
The Council’s debt service cover ratio of 3.2 times is above the industry benchmark of greater than 2 times.
•
The Council’s debt service cover ratio has decreased from prior year mainly due to the decrease in operating result for the year 2018–19.
Debt service cover ratio 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 Ratio2.5 x 2 1.5 1 0.5 0
2017
2018
2019
Year ended 30 June Debt service cover ratio Industry benchmark > 2x
Rates and annual charges outstanding percentage •
•
•
The ‘rates and annual charges outstanding percentage’ assesses the impact of uncollected rates and annual charges on council’s liquidity and the adequacy of debt recovery efforts. The benchmark set by the former OLG is less than 10 per cent for regional and rural councils. The Council’s rates and annual charges outstanding percentage of 3.91% is within the benchmark of less than 10% for regional councils. The Council’s rates and annual charges outstanding percentage remained consistent over the past three years. The collection procedures of the Council operated effectively to collect more than 90 per cent of the rates and annual charges revenue within the receivable due dates.
12
Rates and annual charges outstanding percentage
10 8 Ratio 6 % 4 2 0
2017
2018
2019
Year ended 30 June Rates and annual charges outstanding percentage Industry benchmark < 10%
6
132 Maitland City Council
Cash expense cover ratio
•
•
*
This liquidity ratio indicates the number of months the council can continue paying for its immediate expenses without additional cash inflow. The benchmark set by the former OLG is greater than three months. The Council’s cash expense cover ratio was 14.9 months, which is above the industry benchmark of greater than 3 months. This indicates that the Council had the capacity to cover 14.9 months of operating cash expenditure without additional cash inflows at 30 June 2019.
Cash expense cover ratio
Ratio (months)
•
18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
2017
2018
2019
Year ended 30 June Cash expense cover ratio Industry benchmark > 3 months
The cash expense cover ratio decreased compared with prior year due to increased cash outflows for materials and contracts expenditure in 2018–19. Infrastructure, property, plant and equipment renewals
The Council has renewed $18.1 million of assets in 2018–19 financial year, which is comparable to $23.5 million of assets in the prior year.
New accounting standards implemented Application period
Overview
AASB 9 ‘Financial Instruments’ and revised AASB 7 ‘Financial Instruments: Disclosures’ For the year ended 30 June 2019
AASB 9 replaces AASB 139 ‘Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement’ and changes the way financial instruments are treated for financial reporting. Key changes include: •
a simplified model for classifying and measuring financial assets
•
a new method for calculating impairment
•
a new type of hedge accounting that more closely aligns with risk management.
The revised AASB 7 includes new disclosures as a result of AASB 9. Council’s disclosure of the impact of adopting AASB 9 is disclosed in Note 13.
7
Annual Report 2018/19 133
Legislative compliance My audit procedures did not identify any instances of non-compliance with legislative requirements or a material deficiency in the Council’s accounting records or financial statements. The Council’s: •
accounting records were maintained in a manner and form to allow the GPFS to be prepared and effectively audited
•
staff provided all accounting records and information relevant to the audit.
The Council’s: •
accounting records were maintained in a manner and form that facilitated the preparation and the effective audit of the general purpose financial statements.
•
staff provided all accounting records and information relevant for the audit.
Furqan Yousuf Delegate of the Auditor-General for New South Wales
cc:
Mr David Evans, General Manager
8
134 Maitland City Council
STAGING COLOURS AT THE LEVEE
Annual Report 2018/19 135
BURTON AUTOMOTIVE HUNTER VALLEY STEAMFEST 2019
136 Maitland City Council
CONTACTING COUNCIL LOCATION: 285-287 High Street, Maitland MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 220, Maitland NSW 2320 TELEPHONE: 02 4934 9700 FAX: 02 4933 3209 EMAIL: info@maitland.nsw.gov.au WEBSITE: maitland.nsw.gov.au All correspondence should be addressed to the General Manager
ENQUIRIES: Citizen Services Centre Business Hours: 8.30am - 5.00pm Monday to Thursday 8.30am - 4.30pm Fridays - 02 4934 9700 Live Chat: maitland.nsw.gov.au WORKS DEPOT: 02 4934 9611 EMERGENCY AFTER HOURS: 02 4934 9700 PUBLIC OFFICER: 02 4934 9700 GENERAL MANAGER’S OFFICE: 02 4934 9700 MAYOR’S OFFICE: 02 4934 9700 DEVELOPMENT CONTROL UNIT: 02 4934 9768 LIBRARY: 02 4934 9702 ART GALLERY: 02 4934 9859 VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE: 02 4931 2800 WASTE DEPOT: 02 4934 1888
Annual Report 2018/19 137
285-287 High Street Maitland NSW 2320 t 02 4934 9700 f 02 4933 3209 info@maitland.nsw.gov.au maitland.nsw.gov.au