A quick snapshot of the October 2026 Council meeting

Environment

• Our motion to reduce plastic use in Council infrastructure where possible successfully passed.
• Council and State Government are progressing a proposal for Council to potentially take over a wildlife corridor in Ingleside, to protect this land for wildlife.

Community

• Our motion to investigate updating the Freshwater Surfer's Walk passed unanimously, particularly to recognise female surfers from recent years. 🤙🏄‍♀️ Shout out to local groups like Friends of Freshwater who have long called for this to be updated.
  
• Council will be investigating restrictions on camera glasses at Council childcare centres and aquatic centres, given the privacy and child protection concerns.
• Safety improvements will be implemented in Dee Why to help promote community safety, including community pop ups and CCTV in areas recommended by NSW Police.
• Council approved a proposal to lift the Alcohol Prohibited Area "APA" at Shelly Beach to allow a high end Chanel event to take place. We opposed this proposal, but it was carried by other Councillors. Every year, Council imposes APAs banning ordinary families from consuming alcohol at local parks, etc on holidays like New Years Eve and Australia Day (and every year, we unsuccessfully oppose this as overreach against people who would do this responsibly, given the police have powers to deal with misbehaviour if it arises). We think its a double standard that ordinary families can't enjoy a responsible drink, but yet an elite event can buy itself a different set of rules. 

Transport

• Planning for flood mitigation works on the Wakehurst Parkway continues, with a new bridge design proposed that would improve the current situation (where it floods around twice a year) to a new bridge design that would reduce flooding in that section to about 1 in 100 years. (We note the TfNSW widening works closer to C3 Church are also ongoing - these have involved a significant amount of clearing, but are separate to the flood mitigation works).
• A successful EOI process will progress proposals for more EV chargers to make it easier to get around in electric cars (with a more compact design).

What's coming up in November?

• We have a few motions planned over the coming few meetings including:
  
  • A motion collaborating with other Councillors proposing to strengthen Council's commitments to addressing and preventing gambling harm in our local community
  • A motion to look at the implications on local families of proposed State Government cuts to funding of childcare services operated by Council.
  • We are also looking at a motion exploring new ideas to promote responsible pet ownership, as Council has responsibility for education and enforcement of this legislation. I'm collaborating with the Pet Professionals Guild of Australia looking at new ideas - got any? Let us know via our anonymous survey - https://forms.gle/PPfG7T26Vj5pK2dr5