Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Greater Geelong City Council Held virtually by Zoom and broadcast on the City's website on 21 September 2020, commencing at 7:00pm.
Sanja Van Huet
Barry White
Councillors:
S Asher (Mayor)
A Aitken
K Grzybek
B Harwood
S Mansfield
J Mason
P Murnane
P Murrihy
R Nelson
T Sullivan
M Cutter (Chief Executive Officer)
R Leonard (Director Governance, Strategy and Performance)
The Mayor declared the meeting open at 7:00pm.
Council acknowledges Wadawurrung Traditional Owners of this land and pays its respects to all Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People who are part of the Greater Geelong community today.
Councillor E Kontelj.
Nil.
Councillor Grzybek moved, Councillor Mason seconded -
That the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 25 August 2020 be confirmed.
Carried.
Councillor Sullivan moved, Councillor Mansfield seconded -
That the Minutes of the Special Meeting held on 1 September 2020 be confirmed.
Carried.
Nil.
The following questions were submitted prior to the Council meeting from Sanja Van Huet, and Barry White. Responses addressing their concerns have been provided via email.
Sanja Van Huet submitted the following questions:
In regard to the anticipated ‘climate change response plan’ I have a few questions to ask. I would like responses to my questions based on current Councillor commitment – not on what an external contractor recommends for future Council:
Will you commit to ongoing collaboration with members of the wider community in all planning and identification of targets and goals? This should include community members who can nominate themselves to participate – not just those who are specially invited to participate?
Thank you for your questions Sanja:
Extensive community consultation will be undertaken to develop and deliver the Climate Change Response Plan. To-date the City has commenced online discussions with 23 community and business groups and several agencies, involving over 50 people in the development of the Climate Change Response Plan. This engagement will be expanded after caretaker period, to include the wider community, surveys and further workshops.
As well as this, will you create an ongoing Community Reference Group for the Climate Response Plan to keep progress on the plan accountable?
The suggestion of Climate Change Community Reference Group will be referred to the new Council as part of the consideration of the Climate Change Response Plan.
Will you include KPI’s for environmental targets at the highest levels, including management and Council members, that are not self-assessed but assessed by an external agent.
The Climate Change Response Plan will have key performance indicators for the City. These will be considered for incorporation into the new Council Plan which is reported to the community and Minister for Local Government.
The measures and targets for the Sustainability Framework are currently being developed. They will form a report which will demonstrate to the community our progress on the priorities and will be made publicly available.
Barry White submitted the following question:
My question relates to the recently released Parks Victoria draft You Yangs Precinct Master Plan which includes the You Yangs and Serendip Sanctuary. I refer primarily to Serendip Sanctuary. I also note that whilst City of Greater Geelong and Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine were represented on the Project Control Group, no community representation was included.
It should be noted that Parks Vic is the custodian of what are publicly funded community assets. This Plan should be about enhancing the value of those assets not simply cost cutting with some minor revenue generating activities which have little to do with the primary role of wildlife and habitat conservation. Serendip is unique in that its design offers opportunities to see free ranging birds and animals in natural habitat with minimal threats and disturbance to them.
Some proposals in the report are positive - but many are not. Suggestions such as camping, festivals, and leasing out of land in Serendip for purposes which are unspecified, are completely inconsistent with its internationally acclaimed wildlife conservation and viewing role, attracting some 70,000 people annually. The proposal to reconfigure the sanctuary by removing infrastructure such as walkways, tunnels, hides, enclosures and aviaries will expose the wildlife to disturbance which will see them disappear over time, and never to return. Some of this infrastructure is also essential to protect endangered and at -risk wildlife from predators such as foxes, cats and dogs which do find their way into the Sanctuary. The proposed ending of the captive breeding program is short-sighted. This has been particularly successful in breeding and reintroducing previously endangered birds such as the Cape Barren and Magpie Geese which are now seen free ranging around Lara in Lakelands and Grand Lakes estates. In the past, large numbers of Brolgas were also bred and reintroduced. The schools’ education program which enables students to experience close ‘real life’ encounters with wildlife and the environment has been particularly valuable with many thousands of students and young people involved over many years. These activities add value to the role of Serendip Sanctuary and should be protected - but they are dependent on the intrinsic values of Serendip as a natural wildlife conservation centre.
What is needed is not elimination of these central elements that make Serendip Sanctuary the attraction that it is today but funding and investment to maintain and restore infrastructure, signage, hides and interpretative information. Wildlife in natural habitat is the attraction that brings large numbers of local and international tourists into the region and this is vital to building our visitor economy. This should be recognised and better promoted. Parks Vic has failed in its role to fund and protect these assets over many years.
Will Council support and work with the Lara regional community by engaging with it through the draft Master Plan review process, to ensure that we achieve a result that is not simply a cost cutting exercise but builds value and sustains the future of Serendip Sanctuary?
Thank you for your question Barry:
The Draft You Yangs Precinct Master Plan was released by Parks Victoria for public comment on 1 September 2020. Parks Victoria is seeking feedback until Sunday, 1 November 2020 via the Engage Victoria website.
It should be noted that the City of Greater Geelong has been a stakeholder in this process, and it is understood that there has been considerable community concern and public debate with a number of concerns raised about its contents and directions by both individuals and organisations. It is also noted that you outline that some proposals in the report are positive, by many in your view are not.
Councillor Grzybek has raised a Notice of Motion for Council to be considered by Council tonight, seeking support to ensure that community concerns regarding the Master Plan are raised and calling for a stakeholder reference group to be formed. Aside from this, we’d encourage you to provide feedback directly to Parks Victoria during their feedback period.
Nil.
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