Hits

A few highlights from the meetings(s)

• We were able to get our motion passed to get a report on providing menstrual product dispensers in Council bathrooms to assist women and girls to participate in the community with dignity no matter their circumstances. This followed a great campaign from a local teenage girl for Council to investigate this idea. We're a bit disappointed some Councillors opposed even getting a report... we spoke extensively to local community members and NGOs and had nothing but support. Some blokes we spoke to even assumed it would already be the case! Fingers crossed the staff report comes back with helpful recommendations.

• We were able to strengthen Council's advocacy to state government criticizing recent changes to planning legislation which has watered down community involvement in shaping local development outcomes or even being informed about new development. The original motion from another Councillor focused only on the HDA pathway, but we strengthened this to include the LMR reforms and state government changes which removed some community consultation requirements for DAs. This motion won't magically fix the issues but it an issue all councils should be advocating to state government to reverse.

• We supported a motion to look at alternatives to the fireworks at Dee Why beach for new years eve. Unfortunately due to the weather and wave conditions at Dee Why, its providing too difficult to get an operator to safely and reliably get a barge out. Hopefully the staff and develop a fun alternative for this celebration.

• We succeeded in a motion for a report on establishing a Briefings Committee open to the public. In the past Councillors have received private briefings from staff on matters coming on the agenda, which the Minister for Local Government is seeking to ban/has banned. As a result, Councillors are no longer briefed on agenda items before the papers are published, which is frustrating and makes it more difficult to get information or ask questions or even really have a 'heads up' what's coming. We're proposing to join other Councils which have briefings open to the public, as a win/win for being informed while also having transparency in dealings. Fingers crossed the staff report comes back with helpful recommendations.

• We supported a motion to return public forum to the meeting night, with the community speeches to take place before the Council meeting again but at an earlier time. We felt this was better for civic engagement, as residents who attend can both participate in public forum and then watch the meeting more easily. However, it will mean an earlier start time for community forum at 5PM. What are your thoughts? The meeting code is currently open for community consultation, so you can let the Council know if you prefer the forum on the same night as a meeting or are happy for it to be a separate evening: HAVE YOUR SAY LINK. 

Misses

We put forward ideas, and sometimes our colleagues are not receptive.

• We were disappointed that my proposal to progress piloting a stormwater disputes resolution service in collaboration with Councils and universities was voted down. As a councillor I very regularly hear from residents in stormwater disputes with neighbours, and the expense and difficulty of resolving these disputes as Council has limited powers and resources to make orders, and the only other alterntive is for neighbours to sue one another. Other kinds of disputes (eg fence disputes and tree disputes) have lower cost pathways that promote mediated outcomes, but not stormwater! Unfortunately my colleagues did not support this proposal being progressed further.

• We proposed to pause the South Mona Vale Beach offleash dog trial due to the ongoing bird flu pandemic. The current DPIRD advice is that dogs should be kept on lead, to avoid them catching bird flu from wildlife or spreading the disease to wildlife. Unfortunately we didn't have the numbers, and the trial will continue.