Council News WAGGA WAGGA CITY COUNCIL
FIRST PRINTED SATURDAY 30 MAY 2015
Issue 46
Weekly information from us to you
Conversation flows at Lake Albert forum More than 150 community members shared their thoughts at the Lake Albert public forum on Thursday night. Held at the Wagga Wagga Boat Club, residents were given an update on completed projects before discussing future plans for the lake. Following the open discussion and presentation, the community were able to speak one-on-one with project managers. The forum was the first step in reviewing the Lake Albert Management Plan. Residents can still join in the conversation by visiting wagga.nsw. gov.au/lakealbert. The website features information about a number of completed, ongoing and proposed in and around Lake Albert, as well as the presentation from the forum. TALKING POINT (main): Environmental Management Team Leader Tony Phelps (left) and Environmental Compliance Team Leader Chris Coombes (back) chat with residents. FEEDBACK (left): Strategic Asset Planner Ben Creighton (right) talks with community members at the public forum. BIG CROWD (far left): Project Management Supervisor David Christiansen presents information about infrastucture works.
KIDS TO GET CREATIVE
Waggafest holiday workshops to share stop-motion skills
If school holidays mean cries of “I’m bored” then Wagga Waggafest can keep your kids animated.
The short-film competition is holding its first Winter School this school holidays, with the week-long workshop to help bring your kids’ imagination to life through the power of stopmotion animation. The Waggafest Winter School will be run
by film whizzes Alice Markham and John Oldroyd from 29 June to 3 July, with sessions for both eight to 12 year olds and 13 to 18 year olds. Over five sessions, the stop-motion students will create a film they can share with friends, family and even enter into the 2015 Wagga Waggafest Short Film Competition. Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendall said age and fancy equipment isn’t a factor when it comes to
making a great Waggafest entry. “The theme for this year’s festival is ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ with a focus on Wagga’s youth and their potential,” he said. “We’ve received some highly entertaining entries from our community’s kids in the past and I’m looking forward to seeing entries from the Winter School students. “Waggafest is a chance to share your unique Wagga story and with this year’s theme the opportunities are endless.”
Winter School will be held in the Wagga City Library community learning space from 29 June to 3 July. The five-day workshop costs $25, with the eight to 12 years sessions running from 10.30am to noon and the 13 to 18 years sessions taking place from 1pm to 2.30pm. For full details, visit wagga.nsw.gov.au/ waggafest.
#winterschooliscoming
STOP MOTION ANIMATION WORKSHOPS THIS WINTER AGES: 8 - 18 COST: $25 BO OKINGS ESSENTIAL MONDAY 29 JUNE - FRIDAY 3 JULY, 2015 #WINTERSCHOOLISCOMING WAGGA.NSW.GOV.AU/WAGGAFEST
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Wagga Wagga City Council & NSW EPA are piloting a Household Asbestos Disposal Scheme offering free disposal of bonded asbestos from across the Local Government Area. You only have until the end of June to make the most of this scheme!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
wagga.nsw.gov.au/asbestos OR Call 1300 292 442
This project is a NSW EPA Waste Less, Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy. Council News - A Wagga Wagga City Council publication
Councillor Column
Wagga Wagga is a diverse community – a welcoming home to many cultures and faiths built on a broad demographic, and we are a richer community for it.
It is important that, as an organisation, Wagga Wagga City Council reflects this diversity in our community. We have made another step in this journey at our April Council meeting with the adoption of our new Equal Employment Opportunity Policy which incorporates the Workplace Diversity Strategy 2015-2018. Many will ask how a Council policy can have any impact on this, and in truth the
councillor.poynter@wagga.nsw.gov.au
policy is born of our statuary obligations. Nevertheless this policy is an expression of cCouncil’s commitment to ensuring equal opportunity in our employment and staff management practices. The provision of equal opportunity is a very complex issue and the real test now is in how we apply the policy. As an example, our workplace employment strategy identifies the fact that we have a disproportionate
number of women employed in insecure work (casual and temporary) compared to our permanent workforce. This not uncommon across the workforce and is often explained by citing that women prefer that sort of work because it gives them the flexibility they need to meet other responsibilities they have. Of course this is a very flawed argument — women
don’t prefer insecurity, they put up with it. The real challenge for us is to find ways of constructing permanent work that allows our employees to meet family, cultural and other obligations they may have, and work effectively for the community as Council staff. Flexibility is the key to this and a view that we should lock Council staff into a 9 to 5, five day a week work
Little library lovers listen in for National Simultaneous Storytime From Wagga Wagga to Broome, Hobart and everywhere in between – thousands of kids piled in to libraries across the country for National Simultaneous Storytime.
Wagga Wagga City Library joined in on the fun, with the community’s youngest library lovers enjoying a reading of The Brothers Quibble by Aaron Blabey by the library’s Michael Scutti (pictured).
National Simultaneous Storytime is another opportunity to encourage reading with the community’s children and to promote early literacy. The event forms part of Library and Information Week,
which aims to raise the profile of libraries and information service professionals in Australia and showcase the many and varied resources and services that libraries provide to the community.
Time running out for asbestos scheme
If you have asbestos in your home and want to remove it, you only have until the end of June 2015 to make the most of the Householders Asbestos Disposal Scheme. Wagga Wagga City Council has been successful in securing grant funding through the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to participate in the Householders Asbestos Disposal Scheme, part of the NSW Government’s $465M Waste Less, Recycle More initiative. Over the 2014/15 financial year, the EPA has provided funding to Wagga Wagga City Council to deliver the pilot project to make
the disposal of small amounts of asbestos from home demolition or renovation jobs easier and cheaper for householders. Residents of the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area only have a few weeks left to register to be part of the scheme, which will allow householders to dispose of asbestos from their property for free, provided certain conditions are met. Importantly, once registered, the asbestos must be booked in and taken to the Gregadoo Waste Management Centre by 30 June 2015 to be eligible for free disposal. Charges may apply after this date.
The scheme applies to bonded asbestos only, not asbestos contaminated soils or asbestos contaminated construction & demolition materials. If you would like to participate in the scheme and have any questions or require any further information, contact Council’s Waste Services Division on 1300 292 442 or visit the Civic Centre. Further information relating to asbestos handling & disposal in general can be found at www.asbestosawareness.com.au. This project is a NSW EPA Waste Less, Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.
IAN MOSS - SIX STRINGS CLASSICS TOUR
THIS WEEK:
CIVIC CENTRE PROJECTIONS: THEIR LIGHT STILL SHINES
galore. The day will benefit Kurrajong Waratah’s services and programs in the region. Murrumbidgee Turf Club, Travers Street. Ph: 6921 2151
Sat 30 May 8pm Five times ARIA winner Ian Moss delivers an unforgettable sound, performing all of the classic hits from his ‘Six Stings’ album as well as all the Cold Chisel/Ian Moss classics. Civic Theatre. Ph: 6926 9688
Until Mon 8 June 6pm to 10:30pm Wagga Wagga City Council has commissioned a special digital projection by local artist Andrew Hagan, highlighting Anzac stories from Wagga. Projected nightly onto the northern facade of the Civic Centre, cnr Baylis and Morrow Streets. Ph: 1300 292 442
VEGE SWAP OR BUY
MARKETS BY THE LAKE
Tue 2 June 7:30pm Featuring America’s finest musicians together with the Moonlight Serenade Singers and The Broadway Swing Dancers. Civic Theatre. Ph: 6926 9688
KURRAJONG WARATAH RACE DAY
COLOURS OF THE COUNTRY III: THE ALICE SPRINGS BEANIE FESTIVAL
RCM 2015 LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES: AUSTRALIAN ARMY BAND KAPOOKA BRASS ENSEMBLE
Sat 30 May The day provides prepurchased ticket holders with entry and complimentary food and beverages in the Champagne, Green Ridge and Trainers Bars. Children’s rides and entertainment
Sat 30 May 9am to 12pm Demonstration Gardens, cnr Albury and Shaw Streets. Ph: 0411 417 956 Sat 30 May 9am to 2pm Apex Park, Lake Albert. Ph: 0497 937 934
Sat 30 May to Sun 12 July Colours of the Country III highlights the works produced by Indigenous artists from the Central Desert region in this cross-cultural event.
THE GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
Thu 4 June 11:30am Wesley Uniting Church, Johnston Street. All concerts free. Contact Riverina Conservatorium of Music on 6925 3522
EAT LOCAL THURSDAY
Thu 4 June 2.30pm to 6.30pm Free entry. Murrumbidgee Turf Club, Travers Street. Ph: 0427 441 107
DAMIEN LEITH
Fri 5 June 8pm The Parting Glass – An Irish Journey. Civic Theatre. Ph: 6926 9688
facebook.com/waggaevents For support in organising your event, contact Council’s Events Unit at events@wagga.nsw.gov. au or 1300 292 442 Monday to Friday. To promote your event or for a full list of events go to: visitwagga.com or call 1300 100 122.
cycle is at best misguided. Flexible work practices, when fairly applied, not only allow council to better allocate our workforce to serving community need, but also play a part in providing equal opportunity and unlocking diverse skills and approaches that are unavailable to us because of rigid and out-ofdate thinking.
Councillor Kevin Poynter
Wagga marks 2015 Sorry Day The Wagga Wagga community came together to mark National Sorry Day with an official ceremony held at the Civic Centre forecourt on Tuesday. The service began with a Welcome to Country from Aunty Isabel Reid and featured a special “remembering our loved ones” activity. The community were asked to write down their thoughts on National Sorry Day and then place their message in a symbolic fire (pictured above). Mayor of the City of Wagga Waga Councillor Rod Kendall said National Sorry Day raised awareness about the significance of the forcible removal policies and the impact they have had not just on the children that were taken, but also on their families and communities. “The commemoration of National Sorry Day each year helps contribute towards a broader ongoing effort toward healing and social and emotional wellbeing for individuals, families and communities across the country,” he said. Following the official ceremony a morning tea was held in the Council meeting room.
Climate Change The Science and Politics of Climate Change
Celebrate World Environment Day by joining Environmental Educator Dr Andrew Wallace for an information session delving into climate change. Find out why it is everyone’s business to be involved in making a change for our future. Thursday 4 June, 6pm - 7:30pm Council Meeting Room, Wagga Wagga City Council cnr Baylis and Morrow Streets.
MORE INFORMATION Alice Kent, Wagga Wagga City Council on 1300 292 442, or Dr Andrew Wallace on 0428 279 007.
www.wagga.nsw.gov.au Council News - A Wagga Wagga City Council publication
Meeting snapshot
Wagga Wagga City Council’s live tweets decisions by the elected Council from the 25 May Ordinary Council Meeting:
• Council will investigate the #development potential of a 36ha block bound by Copland St & Kooringal Rd #wwccmtg • $126K has been allocated for the design & installation of streetlights for the new Oura Rd/Byrnes Rd roundabout #wwccmtg • The installation of lights is part of the final stages of the Eunony Bridge Road #Deviation Project #wwccmtg • Council will commence work on an Open Space, Recreational and
Community Strategy 2016-2043 • The Open Space, Recreational and Community Strategy 2016-2043 will inform items to be levied under a new S94 & 94A Plan #wwccmtg • Council directed to proceed with amendments to the DCP to relax the impervious to pervious ratio for Lloyd precinct to 65:35 ratio #wwccmtg • Council has allocated $20K to carry out further investigations into the availability of ground water near #LakeAlbert #wwccmtg • Cr Braid & Cr Poynter will represent @WaggaCouncil at the NSW Public Libraries Association Conference in Sydney this November #wwccmtg
PIECE OF CAKE: Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendall, Wayne Geale, Jo Burston and Wagga Wagga City Council General Manager Phil Pinyon completing the cupcake decorating challenge.
WAGGA WAGGA CITY COUNCIL VACANCY
careers at council
PEOPLE & CULTURE GRADAUTE (Work Health & Safety) Remuneration: Min $1,045.76 gpw + super Enquiries: Tanya Jackson - 0458 246 170 Closing Date: Friday, 19 June 2015
To view this opportunity and apply, visit www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/jobs Wagga Wagga City Council is an EEO employer
Values - Part of everything we do Trust • Respect • Innovation • Teamwork
Mayor’s creation takes the cake Tasty treats, creative cupcakes and a bucketful of donations helped make the annual Mayor and Mayoress’ Biggest Morning Tea another success on Thursday. Held in the Civic Centre foyer, a big crowd packed in for slices, scones and a cuppa to help fill the Cancer Council’s coffers. It was a long way from Masterchef, but Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendal, General Manager Phil Pinyon, former mayor Wayne Geale and entrepreneur
Jo Burston donned aprons and went head-to-head in a cupcake decorating showdown. The competitors were given a two-minute time limit and then the culinary creations were auctioned off. Cr Kendall’s cupcake won the day with its blue sprinkles, yellow icing and colourful flowers. Thrilled with the victory, Cr Kendall said the Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea concept was a simple but vital fund-raiser for the Cancer Council.
“Just by making a donation and enjoying some scones and a cuppa we can all help make a difference,” he said. “One in two Australians are diagnosed with cancer by age 85, but every dollar raised helps fund the Cancer Council’s vital research, prevention and support service programs.” Ms Burston presented the Mayor with a copy of her book, Inspiring Rare Birds, which highlights Australia’s leading female entrepreneurs.
Meet Yoda
Pet of the week he is, adopt him you can. Yoda is a Jack Russell terrier and like his namesake, he is a little bit older and therefore wiser. He still loves a good scratch under the chin and will lap up any love and attention you’ll give him. The force is strong in this one and you can adopt him from the Glenfield Road Animal Shelter for $291.18. This fee includes microchipping, lifetime registration, first vaccination, desexing and worming. If you would like to meet Yoda and or any of his furry friends, please come down to the shelter from Monday to Saturday, 1pm to 4.15pm or contact 6971 4651.
Public Notices NOTICE OF COUNCIL MEETINGS JUNE 2015
In accordance with the provisions of Section 9 of the Local Government Act 1993, notice is hereby given that an Ordinary meeting of the Council of the City of Wagga Wagga will be held at 6pm on Monday, 29 June 2015 in the Council Meeting Room, cnr Baylis & Morrow Streets Wagga Wagga. Notice is also hereby given that a Policy and Strategy Committee meeting will be held at 6pm on Monday, 15 June 2015 in the Council Meeting Room, cnr Baylis & Morrow Streets Wagga Wagga. This meeting will be immediately followed by a Supplementary Council meeting. All meetings are open to members of the public. Members of the public wishing to address the Policy and Strategy Committee regarding agenda items, must complete the appropriate Public Address Form and return it to Council by 10am on the day of meeting. The form is available from the Customer
At this location between 9am and 3pm: Saturday 20 June 2015 Gregadoo Waste Management Centre Ashfords Road, Gregadoo, Wagga Wagga
Contact us p 1300 292 442 e council@wagga.nsw.gov.au w www.wagga.nsw.gov.au a Civic Centre Cnr Baylis & Morrow Sts PO Box 20 Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
Follow us @waggacouncil Share your #waggaview
Service counter at the Wagga Wagga Civic Centre or from Council’s website www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/paforms Copies of the Agenda are also available to the public, at the meetings or from the Customer Service Centre at the Wagga Wagga Civic Centre three (3) days prior to the meetings or from Council’s website www.wagga.nsw.gov.au
OPERATION OF BOARDING HOUSES Within the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area there is a range of accommodation types. Included in these accommodation types are premises that Council considers to be boarding houses. Boarding houses are buildings, including dwellings, where lodgings are let out on a per room basis (as opposed to a single lease over a dwelling) for periods of three (3) or more months. Development consent is required to operate a boarding house. In recent times Council has received complaints that there are boarding houses in the city operating in dwellings without consent. As
people may not have been aware for the need for consent, Council is currently holding an amnesty period, where people can selfreport their unapproved boarding houses and lodge a Development Application to seek consent. During this amnesty period Council will waive all Development Application fees associated with an application for a boarding house. The amnesty period is for 12 months commencing February 2015 and will end on 29th February 2016. At the end of the amnesty period Council will commence actively pursuing boarding houses operating without consent, which may result in fines for operators of such premises. If you have any queries in relation to this program, please do not hesitate to contact Council’s Planning and Regulatory Services Directorate on 1300 292 442.
Phil Pinyon, GENERAL MANAGER
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