Council Decides: April Ordinary Meeting

Welcome to our April issue of “Council Decides”, where we update you on the decisions and discussions of the Lismore City Council’s monthly Council meeting.

The business papers and attachments for the meeting can be found at

PUBLIC ACCESS

Five people spoke on three topics during Public Access

• One speaker spoke against Reimagine Lismore.
• Two spoke in favour of the rescission motion relating to 9 Sibley Street, Nimbin
• Two spoke in favour of food security motion

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

Councillors resolved to:

• Receive and adopt the recommendations contained within the minutes of the 20 March 2024 Sister City Advisory Group
• Receive and adopt the recommendations contained within the minutes of the 22 March 2024 Local Traffic Committee

  MATTERS ARISING

• Councillors resolved to:

• Note the responses to Questions on Notice

  REPORTS OF THE GENERAL MANAGER

  Councillors resolved to:

• Receive the chairperson’s presentation
• Endorse the Terms of Reference for the Reimagine Lismore Advisory Panel, endorse the Community Engagement Program and that members of the panel have links to Lismore
• Become a signatory to the NSW Public Spaces Charter
• Adopt the 2024/28 Events Strategy
• Receive and note the March 2024 Investments Report
• Note and execute the following:
  1. Item 1: Lease to Lismore City Council for commercial space in the Lismore CBD to facilitate pop-up CONVERGE program in line with funding by NSW Reconstruction Authority
  2. Item 2: Occupation Agreement with City of Lismore RSL Sub-Branch over Suite A, 179 Molesworth Street, Lismore, subject to Conditions 1 and 2 included in the report annexure.
     • Revoke the following policies: a. Council Use of Lismore Airport Policy, b. Biodiversity – Flora & Fauna Policy, c. Council Cars – Car Agreement Policy, d. Duties and Responsibilities of Committee Chairpersons Policy, e. Plain English Policy, f. Staff Exchange Program between Lismore City Council and Yamato Takada City Council Policy, and note the following policies have been reviewed and no changes are required: a. Closure of Offices Christmas/New Year Policy, b. Dedication of Bequeathed Land for Community Purposes Policy, c. Lismore Coat of Arms/Corporate Logo Policy and d. Media Releases Policy
     • Make the two voting delegates to the 2024 Floodplain Management Australia National Conference are Councillors Ekins, Rob, if constitutional matters arise the voting delegate is Councillor Rob and to approve the submission of the motion for AVL Link Remote Access to the Conference organisers
     • Note the draft minutes of Arts Northern Rivers
     • Receives the Mayoral Attendance Report for March 2024

       NOTICE OF MOTION/QUESTION WITH NOTICE

       Councillors resolved to:

     • Write to The Hon Chris Minns MP Premier, The Hon Ryan Parks MP Minister for Health and Janelle Saffin MP Member for Lismore requesting the NSW Government fund Stage 2 of the multilevel carpark adjacent to the Lismore Base Hospital, to provide adequate and safe car parking facilities for our essential workers
     • ·note the findings and recommendations of the Plan C and UTS Northern Rivers Food Security & Resilience Scoping Study, in particular the urgent need for coordinated food system governance, policies and planning in the region to build resilience to disasters and supply chain disruptions
     • ·note the ‘Food Production and Supply in NSW’ Inquiry and Report (November 2022), particularly Recommendation 6: that the NSW Government works with local councils to develop and implement strategies to improve local food systems, and provides appropriate funding as required, write to the following NSW Labor Government Ministers requesting the Government’s response to the Inquiry, noting that Government has indicated it will respond to the findings by May, and highlighting the importance of Recommendation 6 for communities recovering from disasters such as the Northern Rivers: i) NSW Premier the Hon Chris Minns MP, ii) Minister for Agriculture the Hon Tara Moriarty MP, iii) Minister for Local Government the Hon Ron Hoenig MP, iv) Minister for Regional New South Wales and North Coast the Hon Rose Jackson MP, v) Minister for Health and Regional Health the Hon Ryan Park MP, note the Northern Rivers Joint Organisation passed a similar motion at its February meeting, include questions regarding food and water security in the Reimagine Lismore community engagement process to understand community lived experience in the Lismore LGA, advocate to the NSW Reconstruction Authority for future possible use of buyback properties for urban and small scale agriculture in the Lismore LGA, and provide a briefing to Council by July outlining current constraints and the mechanisms that could be considered to enable small scale urban agriculture in the Lismore LGA
     • Approach both the Northern NSW Local Health District and also Transport for NSW (via the Local Traffic Committee) regarding the proposed amendments to the Parking Strategy, approach the NSW Department of Planning regarding authorisation of an amended Parking Strategy pursuant to Condition A5, if all parties respond favourably, engage a suitably qualified consultant to prepare an amended Parking Strategy in accordance with Transport for NSW Guidelines, complete an amended Parking Strategy supported by NSW Local Health District and also Transport for NSW (via the Local Traffic Committee) and endorsed by NSW Department of Planning and Council and implement the revised Parking Strategy

CONFIDENTIAL SESSION

Councillors resolved to exclude the press and public to consider confidential matters. After the session, Councillors returned to announce they resolved to award a tender for the construction of Walking Pathways – Harold Fredericks Car Park