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Following is a summary of resolutions from the Ordinary Council Meeting of Tuesday 24 May 2022. NB: it is not a full record of resolutions.

Lord Mayoral Minutes

Election of a Federal Labor Government
A Lord Mayoral Minute (LMM) was unanimously supported congratulating Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the four local Members of Parliament following the election of a Federal Labor Government.

Council will write to Prime Minister Albanese and the city’s local MPs reiterating City of Newcastle’s support for a continued close collaborative partnership with the Federal Government and include an updated version of our 2022 Federal Advocacy document of significant projects supported by Council for the advancement of our city.

Acknowledging Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey
A Lord Mayoral Minute (LMM) was unanimously supported noting that Newcastle City Police District Commander, Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey APM has transferred to the Port Stephens-Hunter Police District, with Superintendent Tracey Chapman to act in the role until November when Superintendent Kylie Endemi takes command of Newcastle City Police District.

The Minute congratulates both Commanders on their new appointments, and thanks Detective Superintendent Humphrey for his dedicated service to the people of Newcastle and his collaborative working relationship with Council.

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability
A Lord Mayoral Minute (LMM) was endorsed that recognises the City of Newcastle’s long-standing membership of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and pledges support for the Malmö Commitment on Inclusive & Equitable Communities, to be captured within CN’s draft Environmental Strategy.

Ordinary Business

Compulsory acquisition of community land by Transport for NSW – Newcastle Inner City Bypass
Councillors agreed to reject an offer made by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) for the compulsory acquisition of eight parcels of community land owned by City of Newcastle (CN) in Lambton and New Lambton.

City of Newcastle will seek a determination by the Valuer General regarding the compensation payable for the land. The transfer of the land is estimated to occur on or around 10 June 2022.

Tabling of Register of Disclosures of Interest
Councillors noted the tabling of the Register of Disclosures of Interest for the period 1 February to 30 April 2022 by the Chief Executive Officer, in accordance with the codes of conduct for Councillors and Staff.

NSW Land and Housing Corporation Funding Deed
Councillors unanimously endorsed a Funding Deed with NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC), which outlines the purpose, amount, timing, reporting and other responsibilities of City of Newcastle and LAHC in relation to funding under the previously endorsed Memorandum of Understanding.

Public exhibition of Councillor Expenses and Facilities Policy
Council voted to place the draft Councillor Expenses and Facilities Policy on public exhibition for 28 days and receive a report following the exhibition period.

March Quarterly Budget Review
Councillors received the March Quarterly Budget Review Statement as at March 31, 2022 and adopted the revised budget.

Quarterly performance report on the 2018-2022 Delivery Program
Councillors received the 2018-2022 Delivery Program performance report for the January to March 2022 period.

Executive monthly performance report
Council received the executive monthly performance report for April 2022, which reports on City of Newcastle’s monthly performance.

Tender report – Astra Street landfill capping and environmental management works
Councillors voted to accept a tender for Astra Street landfill capping and environmental management works.

Tender report – electrical and communications services
Councillors voted to accept a tender for electrical contractors to provide electrical and communication installation, repairs and maintenance services.

Write-off sundry debt
Council agreed to write-off a balance of sundry debt consistent with City of Newcastle’s Debt Management Guidelines and in accordance with the provisions of CI 213 Local Government (General) Regulation, 2005.

Supplementary Report – Public Exhibition of Draft Delivering Newcastle 2040
Council resolved to apply to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a one-off Additional Special Variation (ASV) of 2.5 per cent for 2022-2023 financial year, and for this to be a permanent increase retained within the rate base.

Notice of Motion

Hunter fig trees in East End upgrade
Council unanimously endorsed a Notice of Motion calling for a public briefing regarding plans for the four fig trees at the end of Hunter Street Mall on the refuge island between Hunter and Scott Streets, on the basis that three of the trees are proposed to be removed in 2023 due to their poor condition.

State Environmental Planning Policy
Council endorsed a Notice of Motion to write to the Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes to request a formal explanation regarding the decision to dispense with planning reforms under the proposed State Environmental Planning Policy (Design and Place) 2021.

City of Newcastle (CN) has lodged a development application (DA) for its new organics processing facility as part of a plan to locally manage waste from all three kerbside bins, saving millions of dollars on current transport costs.

The DA paves the way for a fully-enclosed facility at Summerhill Waste Management Centre that will be able to receive 50,000 tonnes of food and garden organics per annum, which will be processed into compost for reuse in agriculture, landscaping and home gardens.

The facility is one of four “city-shaping” projects included in the draft 2022/23 Budget, with $9.4 million allocated to begin construction as part of the record $132 million capital works program.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the draft Budget also includes $5 million dollars towards planning a new material recovery facility at Summerhill, with the major waste infrastructure projects designed to ensure Newcastle ratepayers maintain the lowest waste charges in the region well into the future.

“City of Newcastle is delivering on its commitment to the community to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and increasing the level of recycling,” Cr Nelmes said.

“The draft Our Sustainable Waste Strategy focusses on increased diversion, circular economy and co-location of waste assets in the Summerhill precinct, which would allow Newcastle’s red, yellow and green-lid bin domestic waste to be processed at the one location.

By investing in additional resource recovery and organics processing at the site, we’re also locking in low costs by reducing transport expenses and gaining efficiencies through co-location.”

CN Director and Interim Manager Waste Services Alissa Jones said the biggest cost when it comes to kerbside collections is in transporting the waste, and the biggest cost efficiencies will come from co-locating these facilities at Summerhill, avoiding long-distance transport to other facilities.

“Currently garden organics are shredded prior to being transported 173 km in a return trip to a third-party processing facility in the Upper Hunter for composting. Building the organics processing facility at Summerhill will reduce both transport costs and current carbon emissions,” Ms Jones said.

“These new facilities will ensure the Summerhill Waste Management Facility plays a key role in the region’s move towards a circular economy and its ability to address future NSW and Federal government targets on waste diversion and recycling.”

Ms Jones said investing in the new infrastructure would deliver a wide range of benefits for the community and the environment at Summerhill.

Since 2015 City of Newcastle has invested $54 million into developing and expanding its waste and recycling facilities. In the past 10 years, CN has also paid $270 million in section 88 waste levies to the NSW Government, while receiving only $6.5 million back in grants to help fund that infrastructure and deliver waste education programs to encourage behaviour change.

“The NSW Government currently makes around one third of the waste levy revenue available for councils and businesses to deliver waste and environmental programs,” Cr Nelmes said.

“But in the past decade we have received less than two per cent back from the levies we have paid.

“City of Newcastle continues to invest at significant levels in waste improvement programs and infrastructure because it’s the right thing to do for our residents and ratepayers, and it’s the right thing to do for our environment.

“We look forward to soon being able to share our long-term plans for our sustainable waste future with the community for feedback and in the meantime will continue to move forward with the key projects needed to deliver that vision.”

Community consultation for the planned material recovery facility began in May, while the organics processing facility DA will be placed on public exhibition for feedback in coming months.

The early works associated with the organics project are expected to begin towards the end of this year, while construction of the facility itself will commence by mid-2023, subject to the project being approved by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel.

It has been revealed the same year the University of Newcastle announced plans to make hundreds of staff redundant, it also produced a surplus of $185 million.

The University of Newcastle’s 2021 annual report was tabled in parliament yesterday and reported a surplus of $185,270,000. 

NTEU Newcastle Branch President Dan Conway said the University will move quickly to engage the smoke and mirrors of university accounting. 

“Management, supported by the corporatised University Council, leveraged the ‘unique opportunity’ that they called Covid and sacked hundreds of staff despite admitting in as early as 2020, they knew this surplus was coming,” Mr Conway said.

“UON Management will now move to present this as a one-off, that the funds are ‘restricted’, or that it is an unrealised ‘on paper profit’ to play down the University’s financial position.

“The fact is, though, the University finances, audited by the NSW Auditor-General, don’t lie where others try.”

Mr Conway says the NTEU accepts that most organisations would be proud to have achieved such a surplus, however coupled with the job cuts, it is a scathing indictment on University management.

“Management, including those on Council, need to answer for their actions of continually cutting away at staff and, in turn, cutting away at student learning,” Mr Conway said. 

“This surplus, and those for every year going back more than a decade, show that our University is among the most financially secure in the country,” he said.

While the NTEU accepts that Covid presented some uncertainty, it also cautioned against knee jerk reactions, which have long-lasting, and sometimes irreparable effects. 

“These results vindicate our position. Our University was never under threat from Covid. It was, and remains however, under threat from management and successive federal governments who neglect our institutions,” Mr Conway said.

“Let‘s not forget that our University, like most, is supposed to be, and by law is, not for profit. $185 million from a not-for-profit that cries poor at almost every opportunity? Please! I am sure that any true not-for-profit would be singing from the rooftops if they had a surplus like that.

“But, then again, a true not-for-profit would also see fit to channel that profit into its core purpose. For us, that is teaching and research.”

The NTEU says in preparation for the job cuts, university management told staff, “we’re all in this together.” University management asked staff to tighten their belts and forgo entitlements like pay rises (while they took theirs). Staff were told the job cuts were the cuts “we had to have” to save an institution we all hold dear.

“The hypocrisy involved here is brazen and deeply problematic. For an institution that should be setting an irreproachable standard in ethical operating, this level of bad faith, if not downright deceit, is unconscionable,” Mr Conway said. 

“At its heart, a University isn’t its buildings.  The University is the staff. The University is the students. The University is its community. These are the things which need protecting.

“Newcastle and its regions deserve much better than this and the NTEU hopes the incoming federal government will move quickly to repair what has proven to be a broken higher education system.”

City of Newcastle has begun community consultation with local residents and business owners to understand their views on how to improve safety, parking and public spaces in the Waratah Local Centre area.

Following input from the community, a public domain plan will be developed to guide the revitalisation of the area surrounding Station Street in Waratah.

Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz said the future upgrade aims to create a more accessible, attractive and safe local centre for the Waratah community.

“Our public domain plan will upgrade the streetscape and improve access to shops, as well as address traffic and safety in the area,” Cr Winney-Baartz said.

“Our upgrades often include new footpaths, trees and street furniture – so it’s important that the community shares their feedback about what they would like to see.

“By improving the functionality, look and feel of the area we hope to see more people visiting and spending time at the local centre.”

Last year the elected Council resolved to initiate an upgrade of the Waratah town centre, and a community survey was conducted in late 2021 for similar upgrades at Georgetown.

Once developed, the Waratah Local Centre draft public domain plan will go on public exhibition. The plan will be finalised based on community feedback and will go to the elected Council for approval, ahead of construction in coming years.

The planned upgrade at Waratah follows similar local centre upgrades at Carrington, Beresfield, Joslin Street in Kotara, Llewellyn Street in Merewether, James Street Plaza in Hamilton, and the upgrades currently under construction in Stockton, Shortland and at Orchardtown Road in New Lambton.

Have your say via the online survey at newcastle.nsw.gov.au/yoursay before 13 June.