Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Greater Geelong City Council held at the Council Conference and Reception Centre - City Hall on24 July 2012, commencing at 7:00pm.
Campbell Miller
Tim Stephens
Heather Wellington
Paul Morgan
Ian Kelly
Joan Lindros
CrC Granger (Chair)
Crs:
B Abley
J Doull
J Farrell
K Fisher
E Kontelj
S Kontelj
R Macdonald
A Richards
S Griffin (Chief Executive Officer)
J Wall (General Manager Corporate Services)
P Bettess (General Manager Economic Development, Planning and Tourism)
S Cavanagh (Acting General Manager Projects, Recreation and Central Geelong)
G Van Driel (General Manager City Services)
J McMahon (General Manager Community Services)
K Paton (Manager Arts and Culture)
J Brown (Manager Administration and Governance)
R Bourke (Governance Co ordinator)
D Chiller (Co-ordinator Communication and Marketing)
The Mayor declared the meeting open at 7:05pm.
The Acting Mayor acknowledged that we are here today on the land of the Wathaurong People and we pay our respects to Aboriginal elders past and present.
Councillors:
B Harwood
J Mitchell
R Nelson
Cr Abley moved, Cr Fisher seconded -
That the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 10 July 2012 be confirmed and signed.
Carried.
Cr Abley declared an Indirect Interest in Agenda Item 3 – Corio Norlane Structure Plan, in the she is the No 1 Ticket Holder and Committee Member within the Geelong Rugby Union Football Club which is the major tenant of Council and DEECD owned/operated properties at Flinders Peak Secondary College and adjacent playing fields. Cr Abley’s husband also holds an honorary position on the Management Committee; secondly, her employer Kings Australia owns a small property within the proposed designated Structure Plan area.
Cr S Kontelj declared an Indirect Interest in Agenda Item 4, Activity Centre Zone for Central Geelong, in that his family trust has an interest in a property in the Activity Centre Zone for Central Geelong.
Cr E Kontelj declared a Direct Interest in Agenda Item 4, Activity Centre Zone for Central Geelong, in that he owns a property in the area.
Question Time is an opportunity for questions to be addressed to Council and while the minutes record the general content, they do not purport to be a transcript of what was said by individuals. Likewise Councillor or Officer verbal responses are in summary form only. Views expressed may not be the views of Council.
Council's practice is to provide a separate document on its website setting out questions and responses including any more detailed written responses which may be provided subsequent to the meeting.
Campbell Miller submitted questions in relation to the Corio/Norlane Structure Plan, but was not present at the meeting.
Tim Stephens addressed Council as follows:
Would Council please note the following relevant to the application by P J Cook to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation to operate 40 electronic gaming machines at the Fyansford Hotel. The Fyansford Hotel, as many of you will know, is a very pleasant venue in a unique setting with great road exposure, parking and the additional patronage from guests to the Truffleduck reception centre opposite. The meals at the Hotel won the Golden Plate award three years in a row in recent history The P J Cook Group operates 28 hospitality venues across Australia although only 8 of those included electronic gaming machines. If approved, it is estimated that the annual expenditure on these 40 machines would be just over $1.5 million dollars. Geelong already has 24% more electronic gaming machines per capita that the Victorian average. Expenditure on the existing electronic gaming machines within the Geelong municipality during the 2010-2011 financial year was over $116 million dollars. Considerable weight in making the decision to initially approve the application was placed on community objection or support. Council commissioned telephone survey : Opposed : 45% Support : 32% Neither Opposed or Supported : 23% Applicant commissioned survey : Supported : 44%. It is understood that some new information or evidence would be required for the Commission to overturn its decision. What I can offer to this point, is to prepare for Council within 14 days, a petition based on face to face discussion with residents of Fyansford and some surrounding areas, which based on the feeling I have sensed in the community will indicate greater opposition to the phone surveys so far.
Cr Granger responded that a letter of response will be forwarded.
Cr Farrell expressed her thanks for the work and effort in producing the document tonight and also expressed her appreciation for the offer and indicated she would be back in contact.
Heather Wellington asked questions in relation to the Geelong Motorcross Club site:
My question related to corporate ethics. Does the Council consider it is ethical for a responsible authority such as the City of Greater Geelong to close a facility in its own municipality because of the public health effects of noise, actively work to support the relocation of the club, the noise and the problem into a neighbouring shire (where the noise is causing considerable distress to a number of residents) and then wipe its hands of the problem because it is no longer in its municipality?
Will the City of Greater review the independent noise evidence which confirms the problem at Barrabool and reconsider its support for the relocation of the GMCC to Barrabool?
Cr Granger responded the questions would be taken on notice for a written response.
Paul Morgan asked does Council believe that the impact of the Geelong Motocross Club on the health and well being of Barrabool residents is relevant to its decision to continue to support the relocation of the Geelong Motocrosss Club to Barrabool?
Will Council officers (and Councillors) please agree to meet with us and other Barrabool residents to ensure they understand the scope of this problem?
Cr Granger responded the question would be taken on notice for a written response.
Ian Kelly asked will Council reconsider their objective to relocate the Geelong Motorcross to Barrabool and how does this fit within Council Policy on Sport and Relocation.
Cr Granger responded the question would be taken on notice for a written response.
Joan Lindros asked her question in relation to the Notice of Motion to remove elm trees at Fyans Park:
Is Council aware that the formal and agreed management plan for the Barwon River Parklands includes the removal of these trees and replacement with local indigenous species as is happening all along the river through Geelong from Buckley Falls, with GEC, Council and FOBF, Park Victoria and CCMA all contributing. The restoration is planned to go from the ringroad to Barwon Heads?
Cr Kontelj responded that as you can understand removal of trees is a highly emotive issue and the Notice of Motion before Council tonight calls for an investigation into the heritage significance of the elm trees and if found to be warranted, that the trees be retained and placed onto appropriate tree registers to prevent their removal.
Nil.
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Last Update: 12 August 2013