Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Greater Geelong City Council held at the Council Conference and Reception Centre in City Hall, 57 Little Malop Street, Geelong on 27 February 2018, commencing at 7:10pm.
Bronwen Baker
Lynne Dowling
Paul Russell
James Compston
Peter Seaman
Lorraine Smallman
Jennifer Bantow
Lex Chalmers
Mark Brunger
Leanne Rupene
Clive West
Councillors:
B Harwood (Mayor)
A Aitken
S Asher
K Grzybek
E Kontelj
S Mansfield
J Mason
P Murnane
P Murrihy
R Nelson
T Sullivan
K Spiller (Chief Executive Officer)
K Walsh (Director Planning and Development)
B Luxford (Director Investment and Attraction)
G Wilson-Browne (Director City Services)
L Quinn ( Director Community Life)
P Anderson (Director Finance & Strategy)
R Leonard (Executive Manager Legal Services & Governance)
The Chair declared the meeting open at 7:10pm.
Council acknowledged Wadawurrung Traditional Owners of this land and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who are part of the Greater Geelong community today.
Nil.
Councillor Aitken moved, Councillor Grzybek seconded –
That Maternity Leave be granted to Councillor Sarah Mansfield from 1 to 14 March, 2018.
Carried.
Councillor Kontelj moved, Councillor Grzybek seconded –
That the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 12 December 2017 be confirmed.
Carried.
Nil.
Bronwen Baker (Campaign Leader) presented two petitions regarding the Nuchev Goat Farm proposal in Forest Road South, Lara.
The Mayor thanked Ms Baker for the petitions and advised that Council is aware of the situation, but was waiting for officer and external advice before accurate information could be communicated back to the community. The Mayor’s advice is that the relevant information would be made available by the end of March.
The Mayor also thanked the very large crowd for the respect they displayed to both Councillors and Council Officers during the presentation of their campaign.
Lynne Dowling asked the following in relation to the Geelong Regional Library Corporation:
Since the 2009 Agreement to continue the Geelong Regional Library Corporation, the four positions on the Library Board to which the City of Greater Geelong is entitled, have all been held by four elected Councillors, every year from 2009, until the dismissal of the City Council in April 2016. Since then, two Council employees have been the CoGG/ratepayers representative on the Library Board. At its recent board meeting on 27 February, the Library Board agreed to delay the election of its Chair and Deputy until its next meeting in order to allow the CoGG to nominate its elected Councillor representatives.
Can you advise me whether the CoGG intends to again fill all four positions with elected Councillors to ensure that the $9ml (88% of Library budget) it provides to the Library is being spent according to point 5.8 having ‘paramount regard to the interests of the community’ by providing the services most desired by the users of the libraries within the CoGG? When will the Council advise the Library of its four nominees? As the Library is currently formulating its budget, it would be valuable for Councillors to be nominated as soon as possible so that the Board is in accordance with the 2009 Agreement?
The Mayor responded Councillors are meeting this Saturday as a group to discuss Committee Membership and hopefully at the 13 March Community Focus Meeting will be in a position to ratify those positions and nominate four Councillors to the Board.
Paul Russell asked if Council was aware that the public meeting held on 5 February 2018 regarding the Nuchev High Intensity Feedlot and Milk Processing Plant to be established at 240 Forest Road South, Lara, revealed that more than 700 people at that meeting had been previously unaware of the proposal because the community consultation had apparently not reached them and consequently we were unable to register our strong opposition within the requisite time?
The Mayor assured Mr Russell that Council is aware of the large number of people who attended the recent public meeting and also aware of their concerns.
James Compston asked if Council will consider supporting the community of Lara in its objection to the VCAT decision made in February 2017 which allowed the Nuchev proposal for a High Intensity Goat Feedlot and Milk Processing Factory at 240 Forest Road South to proceed, given that the Moorabool Planning Permit was overturned by VCAT due to the tribunal’s concern regarding the QFever risk management as specified in the planning permit conditions, while the same plan was accepted for the much more heavily populated site at Lara, with nearest housing 580 metres away and school and day care centre within one kilometre?
Councillor Harwood responded we are awaiting advice from Council officers to understand what Council can and can’t do in respect of the application.
Peter Seaman asked that given the previous Administrator – appointed Council had been in the position approximately three months prior to granting the Nuchev permit.
Does this Council believe that the previous Administrator Council had the necessary experience to properly assess the impact that the Nuchev High Intensity Goat Feedlot and Milk Processing Factory would have on Lara with its population of approximately 16,000 people and the close proximity of dwellings and schools to the proposed facility?
The Mayor responded he couldn’t answer the question regarding the Administrators - but advise the decision was made by them at the time.
Lorraine Smallman asked if Council would consider naming the new Bicycle Club Pavilion on the Belmont Common, “The Russell Mockridge Pavilion”, after Geelong’s greatest all-round cyclist of the 1950’s?
The Mayor responded that there have been discussions in recent times around the naming of the Pavilion and there has been several potential names being put forward.
Councillor Aitken added he would like to put forward Rod Charles, who is present in the gallery tonight as a possible name for the Pavilion.
Councillor Kontelj acknowledged Rod Charles who was a former Geelong West Mayor.
Jennifer Bantowasked questions in relation to:
Agenda 3 – Sale of Former Geelong Post Office
Before making what seems to be a hasty decision about selling the former Geelong Post Office, will Council please consider:
Having a period of time for public input, ideas and opinions?
Having a tour of the building inside and out, with their heritage advisor, to explain the significance of the architecture, to imagine what it could be like with proper restoration, experience the beauty of the place, and think about alternative uses for the former Geelong Post Office?
The resolution passed by Council on 20 September 2017 in relation to managing heritage matters:
Will Council please begin a process to implement the resolution passed last September to “provide a single point of co-ordination for heritage issues”?
The National Trust would like to offer to organise an afternoon familiarisation tour for Councillors of highly important heritage places in the municipality?
Would Councillors please like to consider taking up this offer?
The Mayor responded he would be prepared to take up the offer to participate in the potential engagement in relation to heritage issues.
Kelvin Spiller added Council is currently looking at implications of the recommendation for the draft Budget process.
Councillor Nelson added he supported the maintaining of heritage buildings and has actually toured the facility and envisaged what the potential uses might be.
Lex Chalmers asked questions in relation to the Municipal Heritage Strategy 2017:
I assume that the recently elected Council has had and is having workshops on existing Council strategies such as Clever and Creative Futures 2017.
Has any workshop or information sessions been held on the Municipal Heritage Strategy (adopted September 2017), which is closely associated with Clever and Creative Futures, and with Geelong’s future social wellbeing and amenity?
The Mayor responded, not at this stage.
In 2013 the Planning Minister advised that he would consider establishing a Geelong Heritage Fund to be run in conjunction with the Melbourne Heritage Fund (or along the same lines as that Fund, now the Victoria Heritage Fund). The Geelong Heritage Restoration Fund is set up along similar lines as the Victoria Heritage Fund, which I understand is now administered by the National Trust of Victoria to ensure that taxpayer heritage funds are appropriate spent?
The Mayor took the question on notice for a written response.
Mark Brunger asked the following question regarding the Sale of the Geelong Post Office:
What protections have been considered or cavets on the sale of the building to potential buyers to ensure the building remains as it is and protected into the future?
Peter Anderson advised Conservation Guidelines will be a condition of sale.
Leanne Rupene asked if Council was aware the Colin Wilks QFever Management Plan supplied to Nuchev was shown to have flaws in it by more current research, and that Professor Colin Wilks was on the supervisory committee for that research.
Are you aware QFever can be fatal to immune-suppressed residents and vaccinations have high egg protein and are not recommended for children under 15. How can you 100% guarantee my three children, my 3 year old is allergic to eggs and my 1 year old has a hole in his heart, how can you confidently 100% guarantee our children will be safe and my son won’t get QFever and it be fatal?
The Mayor responded he understands how difficult it is to ask questions on such an emotional issue.
As has been previously stated I cannot give an answer this evening, we are awaiting officer advice. I cannot provide a better response as I am not in a position to do so. It’s not that we don’t want to, we simply don’t have the information available.
Clive West asked what the Council Meeting start times are?
The Mayor advised the commencement time of both Council Meetings and Community Focus Committee Meetings is 7.00pm.
A petition containing approximately 2450 signatures was submitted by Bronwen Baker opposing the Nuchev Development at 240 Forest Road, Lara. The objectors are sighting the risk of QFever, public health, the close proximity to suburban developments, traffic, smell and the confined cruel conditions provided for the goats.
A petition was also presented by Bronwen Baker from AWH Pty Ltd (Tailored Logistics Solutions), asking Council to vote as a matter of priority to lodge an appeal with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal under Section 87 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 to cancel Planning Permit PP1204/2015 issued on 20 February 2017.
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