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 26 February 2019, commencing at 7:00pm.
Mik Aldt
Richard Strates
Maria Krywult
Halina Zychla
Chris Jones
Sandy Gatehouse
Jacqueline Edge
Jennifer Bantow
Tom O'Connor
Councillors:
B Harwood (Mayor)
A Aitken
S Asher
K Grzybek
S Mansfield
J Mason
P Murnane
P Murrihy
T Sullivan
M Cutter ( Chief Executive Officer)
B Luxford (Director Investment and Attraction)
G Smith (Director Planning and Development)
G Wilson-Browne (Director City Services)
M Dugina (Director Finance & Strategy)
R Stevens (Acting Director Community Life)
L Barton (Acting Executive Manager People and Organisation Development)
R Leonard (Executive Manager Legal Services & Governance)
The Mayor declared the meeting open at 7:00pm.
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.
Councillor E Kontelj (leave of absence).
The Mayor welcomed and introduced the 2019 Youth Council to the meeting. The elected representatives from each of the four Council wards – Bellarine, Brownbill, Kardinia and Windermere, are:
Bellarine Ward – Josephine Horne (Junior Mayor), Jaeger Fawcett, Elkin Wittenberg
Brownbill Ward – Jesse Pappalardo, Lulu Joske, Matty Pisotsky
Kardinia Ward – Amelia Charleson, Georgina Delany, Lainey Karlich
Windermere Ward – Carmen Macleod, Erin Robertson, Logan Chandler
Josephine Horne (Junior Mayor) addressed Council on behalf of the group outlining the sorts of issues that they believe are most important to the young people in our community, one of the key main issues raised by Josephine was that of mental health in young people. (Josephine’s address will be available on Council’s website).
The Youth Council will regularly at City Hall and the Junior Mayor will then present the group’s findings and recommendations to Council on a quarterly basis.
Councillor Mansfield moved, Councillor Mason seconded -
That the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 29 January 2019 be confirmed.
Carried.
Nil.
Mik Aidt congratulated Council on the initiative to establish a Youth Council. It is so important that the youth is engaged now and invited in to participate in our local democracy, as it is them who will be affected by important decisions we make at the moment.
I am in particular referring to our decisions whether or not we are/will address the issues with our carbon emissions and the climate crisis they cause at an adequate level. So a warm welcome to this new initiative, and to the new Youth Councillors.
My question to Council, and in particular to the Youth Council, is:
Are you aware that on 15 March 2019, a global school strike is being organised? Around the world, school children are gathering in front of City Halls and Parliaments on Fridays, but we are not seeing any kids at City Hall in Geelong. I am wondering, why not? Is it because you object to the kids standing on your doorstep? Or, if not, what will be your response to the kids who may be showing up there on 15 March?
The Mayor responded Council does not object to anyone protesting on the City Hall steps, and we would not present anyone from doing so as long as they are peaceful and obey the law.
Richard Strates asked the following on behalf of the Barwon Heads Lifestyle Group:
Regarding Council officer report, paragraph 21, what process will Council initiate to investigate/explore an expansion of the Barwon Heads town boundary as proposed by the Barwon Heads Lifestyle Group?
Gareth Smith, Director Planning and Development, responded the adopted 2017 Barwon Heads Structure Plan included an assessment of the location of the town boundary and the Farming Zone land directly outside the boundary. The position of the Structure Plan, and the independent panel in considering submissions to Amendment C375, is to retain the existing location of the boundary. The Structure Plan does not call for or indicate any process to investigate/explore an expansion of the boundary. The Structure Plan at page 37 recommends that a full review of the Structure Plan would only occur if there is significant change to State or Local Policy.
Amendment C375 – which will implement the key land use directions of the Structure Plan – does not insert, replace or amend any Greater Geelong Planning Scheme provisions to investigate or explore an expansion of the boundary. On this basis, Council will not be initiating any process to investigate/explore an expansion of the Barwon Heads boundary.
Regarding Council officer report, paragraph 22, the Council is relying upon recent policy initiatives such as the State Government’s Distinctive Areas and Landscapes Bill and the Council’s Settlement Strategy. What is the Council’s response to our position that these remain untested bills/strategy and it is inappropriate to rely upon an untested strategy and/or bill to support the view that strategic planning policies have become more conclusive in relation to township settlement boundaries and as noted by the Panel on page 18 of the Panel’s report that “no policy refers to the existing Barwon Heads Settlement Boundary as a permanent boundary?
The Council is not relying on these other policy initiatives. It is a statement of fact that the policy trend is towards firming up existing town settlement boundaries. The Settlement Strategy is an adopted policy which will require a planning scheme amendment to implement the key directions into the scheme. The Distinctive Areas Bill now forms Part 3AAB of the Planning and Environment Act. There are certainly no recent policy initiatives that give direct or indirect support to expanding coastal town boundaries.
Regarding the City of Greater Geelong Settlement Strategy, has the use of the term, “Permanent Settlement Boundary” been revised to “Settlement Boundary”?
Amendment C375 is unrelated to the Settlement Strategy and does not propose to make any changes to the Settlement Strategy.
Chris Jones submitted a Submission prior to the meeting in relation to Amendment C375, which was tabled at the meeting.
Sandy Gatehouse – President Barwon Heads Association addressed Council as follows:
Again, we thank Council for this lengthy process. We achieved some of our objective, but still have concerns about height and over-development and the impact of over-development on our coastal village.
Councillor Grzybek left the meeting room at 7:28pm.
We strongly support the protection of the boundary, the need for an environmental significance overly schedule for Warrenbeen Court, the change from General Residential Zone to Neighbourhood Residential Zone for the northern part of Barwon Heads and the change from Residential Growth Zone for the area south of Bridge Road and a strip on the western side of Golf Links Road. We thank the Council for their support in including a Traffic and Parking study as “further work” and understand that this is likely to be included in the forthcoming budget.
We continue to express our concern about the size of the increased Housing Diversity Area, which is classified as a Residential Growth Area Schedule 3. We are confused at the preference for smaller one and two bedroom housing types, when all we see from these types of developments if over-crowded holiday lets with inadequate parking and very few permanent residents.
Where within the IHDA and DD042 does the Amendment describe the safeguards to protect the coastal identity and unique attributes of Barwon Heads?
When is the requirement to advertise single dwellings in RGZ3?
When does the DDO42 apply?
Councillor Grzybek re-entered the meeting room at 7:30pm
The Mayor took the questions on notice for a written response.
Jacqueline Edge asked the following questions in relation to the safety and amenity of Elizabeth Street, Geelong West:
Confirmation between Council and the Elizabeth Street Safety and Amenity Group’s Petition?
Confirmation from Council that Elizabeth Street safety and amenity is scheduled to be improved?
Can Council confirm it is prioritising and taking great steps towards a co-ordinated re-development that includes addressing safety and amenity that includes tree canopy and shade?
The Mayor took the questions on notice and accepted a petition from Ms Edge in relation to the Safety and Amenity of Elizabeth Street, Geelong West.
Jennifer Bantow addressed Council in relation to Agenda Item 2 – Civic Accommodation Project Update as follows:
Attachment 2 – Point 7 – confirm that the future use of the City Hall should, subject to sufficient government funding being available, include the extension of the Geelong Art Gallery and part of City Hall be retained for civic meetings and ceremonial functions.
This point is a little unclear – which part of City Hall be retained for civic meetings and ceremonial functions?
Elected Councillors are gaining a reputation for listening to their constituents and responding. The mid-month community consultative meetings are valued by people living in the diverse areas of the municipality and requests from the public, I’ve heard lately of a few, from places, for example Breamlea – are being heard and problems are being fixed.
The profile and status of the representative of the people of the City of Greater Geelong needs to be raised, with the opportunity for the public to meet their representative in the Town Hall, in that Councillor’s office, in private.
An office for each Councillor to enable each person to be able to undertake their civic duties in relation to their particular portfolios and to meet their particular constituents is possible in the original Town Hall at the City of Greater Geelong Headquarters.
The 1850’s Town Hall must be retained as the oldest Town Hall in the State that has been continually in use for local government, pre-dating the Melbourne Town Hall, for ceremonial and civic purposes.
Could Councillors please consider making it clear in Point 7) that the Art Gallery extension occupies the western annexe of the present Town Hall only, and that the seat of local government in the City of Greater Geelong remains in the 1855 design Joseph Reed magnificent Greek Revival building?
Can part of the Civic Accommodation Project be to consider the accommodation of the elected Councillors in the headquarters of local government in the Joseph Reed Town Hall?
The Mayor thanked Ms Bantow for her comments and added no decisions have been made as yet, but Council will be retaining the front part of City Hall facing Gheringhap Street. Further discussions will be continuing.
Tom O’Connor congratulated Council on the initiative of forming the 2019 Youth Council and conveyed his best wishes to the twelve local young people who will now serve as the region’s official “youth voice”.
A petition was presented to the Mayor from Jacqueline Edge raising concerns regarding the safety and amenity of Elizabeth Street, Geelong West. The petition suggests the provision of a proven traffic management system, tree scaping and underground electrical cables.
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