A snApshot of our Achievements - Ku-ring-gai Council · issued to a tree lopping company as well as...

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A snApshot of our Achievements

A snapshot of our achievements July - September 20142

Ku-ring-gai Council 3

st Ives medieval Fa i reThe inaugural Medieval Faire was an outstanding success for a first-time paid admission event, attracting around 15,000 people over two days in September. A field of the world’s best jousters – including knights from Germany, the Netherlands and Norway appeared, plus Viking battle re-enactors and live birds of prey recreating medieval hunting and falconry. Other highlights were traditional archery, a trebuchet or giant catapult used in medieval sieges, wandering minstrels, a medieval tavern and displays of arts and crafts from the Middle Ages. During the Faire library staff engaged children and young people in storytelling, craft activities and library promotional activities.

Other communi ty eventsIn July, the Wildflower Garden held a Bush Kids event to celebrate NAIDOC Week and the Guringai Festival. Planning got underway for the Twilight concert to be held in Wahroonga Park in October. The Council provided $8000 in sponsorship for the Wahroonga Food & Wine Festival, also planned for October.A resident survey was undertaken for Australia Day to determine timing and entertainment for the event.

seniors in Act ionDuring this period several activities were offered to seniors with positive feedback averaging 92%. Seminars included Foot Care, Implications of the Budget and an Intro to Social Media. Three fall prevention classes and one on back health were held.A total of 162 residents attended five excursions to Sydney Observatory and lunch in The Rocks; the Archibald Prize exhibition; movie and lunch at Cremorne Orpheum; Strictly Ballroom; and a Christmas in July luncheon at Berowra Waters. A vegetarian cooking demonstration also attracted 26 attendees.

A healthy, safe, and diverse community that respects our history and celebrates our differences in a vibrant culture of learning.

C O m m u n I t y, p e O p l e A n d C u lt u r et H e m e 1


Above: Medieval Faire Below: July Vacation Care program


Ku-r ing-ga i Ar ts CentreA new booking system was successfully trialled in the July school holidays allowing parents to book activities online. As part of the Art Centre upgrade, new LED lights were installed in every studio, office and storage area. This has enhanced the Centre’s aesthetics, improved the quality of the lighting and contributed to the Council’s sustainability ethos.

Vacat ion careThe July vacation care program operated at a record capacity of 97% over the two week period with waiting lists on most days. Highlights included a show at the Sydney Opera House followed by lunch in the Botanic Gardens, plus a tour of the Australian Reptile Park. The summer holiday program will have three centres opening for the full three week period in January and West Pymble opening for pre-Christmas care.

thomas Car ly le CentreThe occupancy rate for the centre was 98% during this quarter. Father’s Day was celebrated by holding a special morning tea in early September with 18 fathers and grandfathers attending.

young res identsSt Ives Skate Park was the venue on four evenings during the July school holidays for a ‘Night Skate’ event. Over 150 skaters took the opportunity to skate, increasing the use of the skate facility and providing a recreation event for young people not engaged in mainstream sport.

Since reopening, AWOL Youth Centre at Gordon has been operating Monday to Friday servicing an average of 280 young people per month, in particular Year 12 students preparing for the HSC. The facility is also being used for youth services meetings and skills development workshops.

new l ibrary loan systemBetween July and September Ku-ring-gai Library staff tagged approximately 200,000 items with RFID tags. The new RFID system– Radio Frequency Identification – incorporates security as well as efficiency. The system streamlines work procedures by allowing staff to check out books throughout the library area, not just from behind a desk. The new system, which went live in July, also has a device to help find missing or incorrectly shelved items.

swimming po ol safetyDuring this quarter Council staff continued inspecting 18,000 pools and spas within Ku-ring-gai to ensure compliance with the NSW government’s revised laws on backyard pool and spa fencing. Currently 13,500 Ku-ring-gai pool owners have registered their pools and spas on the NSW Swimming Pool Register, which is mandatory.

Companion an imal reg is t rat ionsLocal pet registrations are currently the highest in NSW. Of Ku-ring-gai’s cats and dogs, 97% are registered on the NSW Companion Animal’s database. In the reporting quarter 236 new dogs and 134 cats were added to the database.

Medieval Faire


sydney blue Gum High Forest protect ion pro jectDuring this quarter work got underway on the Avondale Creek Catchment Water Smart Community & Creek Stabilisation Project. Avondale Creek is a tributary of the Lane Cove River which ultimately flows into Sydney Harbour. The project’s aim is not only to rid the area of weeds, but also protect the creekline and the Blue Gum High Forest vegetation community.The Council is being supported by a $50,000 grant from the Greater Sydney Local Land Service, adding to $220,000 worth of labour, materials and equipment the Council is providing for the project. Work is ongoing and will involve volunteers and the wider community. The first stage of the project is weed removal and creek stabilisation works taking place during this quarter. The second stage will be replanting using native vegetation, trees and shrubs.

A reg ional park at GordonCommunity consultation on the concept of a regional park on the site of Gordon golf course got underway during this quarter. A dedicated web page with online comment form and a video showing preliminary feedback from residents and ways to comment were prepared. Planning also commenced for two community visioning workshops to be held in October.

bushf i re prevent ionWork began on updating the new five-year Ku-ring-gai Bushfire Risk Management Plan through the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Bushfire Management Committee. Further risk management plans will be developed for Berowra and North Turramurra in the future. 63 pile burns were prepared for burn-offs in August as a result of vegetation maintenance on fire breaks. A grant of $20,000 received through the Crown Lands Funding Program for weed control of asparagus fern, blackberry and boneseed after a planned fuel hazard reduction burn at the Wildflower Garden.

Flo od & water managementThe public exhibition of the draft Blackbutt Creek Flood Study concluded and public submissions will inform the final report to be reported to Council shortly. The Lovers Jump Creek Flood Study, the second flood study for Ku-ring-gai, is soon to commence.

10/50 leg is lat ionThe Council introduced a register to monitor activity concerning trees cut down under the 10/50 legislation. Over 310 trees were recorded as being cut down in Ku-ring-gai between July and September. However it should be noted that these trees are only ones that have been notified to the Council by members of the public – the actual figure may be considerably higher.

l i t ter reduct ion programIn Wahroonga 14 new litter bins were installed with three more awaiting installation. Community engagement and clean-up of commercial bins progressed well with support from local businesses. In St Ives new bins were installed in the Porter’s Lane area and bins in Turramurra will all be installed by the end of October.

I l legal dumpingDuring this quarter the Council stepped up its investigations of illegal dumping. One significant result was substantial fines issued to a tree lopping company as well as a notice to clean up dumped mulch from Koola Park and Athena Reserve in Killara. The dumping in this instance equated to 20 truckloads of mulch. Council staff also investigated opportunities for grant funding from the state government for community education.

Commerc ia l fo od waste t r ia lA trial involving around 30 local businesses to recycle food waste was completed in September. Over 30 tonnes of food waste was diverted from landfill, with 42% of this waste subsequently recycled. Council staff are currently analysing results and determining if a permanent service is viable. 100% of participants supported Council’s efforts to reduce food waste to landfill and 72% would like a permanent service.

susta inab i l i ty in i t ia t ivesKu-ring-gai’s strong record in community involvement with sustainability continued during this quarter:• Nearly 600 residents took part in workshops and events such as National Tree Day, native bee talks, tick talks and native plant workshops, plus programs including Water Smart, Energy Smart Savers, Compost Revolution, Greenstyle, Pool-to-Pond, Bushcare and the native bee distribution program

Working together as a community to protect and enhance our natural environment and resources.

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General Managers Report | April - June 20146

• Free participation for Ku-ring-gai residents in the national Garage Sale Trail event thanks to $10,000 sponsorship from the Council’s waste contractor Veolia• Ku-ring-gai Council ranked number one out of 51 participating NSW councils for recycling of second fridges through the Fridge Buyback program.

Cl imate Wise Communi t ies programA grant of $71,250 was received from NSW Ministry for Police and Emergency Services and the Australian Government to expand the Climate Wise Communities programDuring this quarter Ku-ring-gai was identified by the University of Melbourne as the leading council in Sydney and Melbourne for preparing older residents for extreme weather events arising from climate change. The study examined a total of 73 Councils in Sydney and Melbourne. Councils were scored on a scale from 0 (very low or no progress or initiatives) to 24 (high level of progress and initiatives). Ku-ring-gai scored 20/24 points, making this Council the highest ranking Council in either Sydney or Melbourne.

bushland protect ionBushland regeneration works continued this quarter within Ku-ring-gai’s 34 actively managed bushland reserves.

National Tree day Loyal Henry 2014


Ku-r ing-ga i F i tness & Aquat ic CentrePlanning for centre’s opening on 25 October continued, following a negotiated agreement with Ichor Constructions. Final work on the entrance to the pool, installation of gym equipment, fit-out of the cafe, filling of the pools and landscaping was completed during this quarter. The YMCA and Council staff developed a comprehensive marketing, membership and program plan for the Ku-ring-gai Fitness and Aquatic Centre. The membership drive commenced in August with the offer of foundation memberships costing as little as $18 a week available until the pool opening in October.

jubes mounta in b ike parkThe $20,000 upgrade to the bike park was completed in September. This involved resurfacing of all three tracks to prevent erosion during wet weather, weed removal alongside the tracks and installation of signage.Planning is underway to create a ‘Bike Park Care Group’ so users can play an active part in keeping the facility weed and litter free.

Act ivate turramurraConsultants were engaged to prepare a master plan for the Ray Street precinct. Four options were prepared and will be reported to Council in October to select one option for development and exhibition. Exhibition of the master plan is planned from mid-November to early next year.

Act ivate l indf ie ldThe scope of works and budget for the new Lindfield Village Green was adopted in September and the tender for concept designs was let. An exhibition of concept designs is planned for February 2015.Also in September, four preferred development scenarios and a project plan for the Lindfield Community Hib were adopted. The outcome of a tender for design consultants will be reported to Council before the end of this year.

A range of well planned, clean and safe neighbourho ods and public spaces designed with a strong sense of identity and place.

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north turramurra recreat ion AreaStage 1 of work on the new golf holes was completed during this quarter and the grass growing-in period commenced. It is expected that these holes will be ready for play by December. Construction of new practice putting greens, chipping greens and practice tees was also underway.Refurbishment of the existing seven golf holes is continuing. These will progressively be re-introduced from December 2014 to May 2015.Site clearing, earthworks and levelling began and will continue for 4-5 months, in preparation to the construction of the new sportsfields.

reclass i f icat ion of Counc i l landDuring this quarter the reclassification process for four local centre sites and four other sites commenced. The local centre sites are Pymble Town Hall at 1186-1188 Pacific Highway Pymble; the current Chambers site and associated car parking at 818 Pacific Highway Gordon; 2-4 Moree Street Gordon and the axe handle of land attached to Memorial Park at 62 Pacific Highway Roseville. These sites were place on public exhibition for comment between 22 August and 19 September. Advertising for the public hearing on 20 October took place during the remainder of September.The four other sites - 27 Garrick Road St Ives; Part 56-588 Koola Avenue East Killara; 97 Babbage Road Roseville Chase; 136A Junction Lane / Morris Avenue Wahroonga – were on public exhibition between 19 September and 17 October.

development appl icat ionsThe processing time for all applications during this quarter was an average of 56 days, compared with the target of 80 days. There was an 18% increase in undetermined applications compared with the previous quarter. This is mainly attributable to a cyclical surge of development activity that generally precedes the financial year end. It is anticipated that this number will be reduced over the next two quarters.

development consentsA total of 182 applications were determined during this period bringing the total determined for the year to date to 479 applications. This represents a 12.5 % decrease in numbers for the 2013-2014 financial year, compared with the previous year.

Access to local cent resA consultant was engaged to undertake an Access and Disability Inclusion assessment of the Local Centres Development Control Plan (DCP) and to provide advice and recommendations for improved provisions. The advice and recommendations will be in a form that can also be applied to the Principal DCP.

Ku-r ing-ga i dCpThe draft DCP was publicly exhibited from 25July 2014 to 22 August 2014. Following amendments based on the public exhibition the final DCP will be presented to Council before the end of the year with a view to adopting it in time for the gazettal of the LEP, also expected before the year end.

Her i tageThe Council convened a heritage committee with members from the National Trust and the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society with its first meeting held on 11 August. The committee will examine the feasibility of ideas such as heritage walks and a heritage fund for homeowners.In July a Gateway Determination from the Department of Planning and Environment was received for the planning proposal to heritage list the former 3M building. The proposal was placed on public exhibition between 15 August and 12 September. Staff are currently reviewing the submission and preparing a report for Council.


Gordon bus in terchangeDuring this quarter Council staff met regularly with Transport for NSW officers to give input on proposed urban design elements associated with the commuter car park and bus interchange. This is to ensure that the works are responsive to pedestrians and vehicles and well integrated with the Gordon town centre.

CyclewaysWork was completed on the Gordon cycleway and finishing works were underway at the Horace Street cycleway at St Ives. It is now possible to cycle on a fully signposted route from Boundary Street Roseville to Park Avenue Gordon.

park ing managementCouncil staff continued to regulate parking in and around local town centres to ensure a regular turnover of available parking spaces. During this period 4317 infringement notices were issued.Council staff joined Local Police Area Command officers patrolling and enforcing school zones mornings and afternoons, resulting in improved driver awareness and compliance in school drop-off areas.

b2 sub d iv is ionNames for the two completed roads - Nancy Bird Avenue and Grey Horse Close – were placed on public exhibition until 17 October. The process for appointing a sale agent commenced with a view to the first lots going on sale by the end of December.

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Access and connection to, from and within Ku-ring-gai provides safe, reliable and affordable public and private travel, transport and infrastructure.

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Ride2Work Day 2014


Creating economic employment opportunities through vital, attractive centres, business innovation and technology.

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Help for smal l bus inessPlanning took place for the third visit to Ku-ring-gai in 2014 by the Small Biz Bus, a free business advisory service. The Small Biz Bus will visit Wahroonga on 21 November.

business network ing eventsTwo events were planned to begin the Council’s networking program for local businesses. The inaugural business breakfast in August attracted over 50 attendees to hear inspirational CEO Todd Coates from Bridgeclimb. Another networking event is also planned for November.

bet ter bus iness par tnersh ipParticipation in Council’s Better Business Partnership program is growing well with 15 businesses added during July-September 2014.

st Ives marketThe tender for the St Ives Market is underway with a select number of prospective market operators submitting their plans for a new market in the heart of St Ives local centre.Work is also progressing for a new market in Linfield East. Council is working with a local resident and business owner to establish a monthly market that will help activate the East Lindfield area and provide a greater variety of shopping options in Ku-ring-gai.

st Ives tour ism prec inct Caley’s Function Centre was refurbished to provide a venue for community events, commercial events and weddings. Planning got underway for a wedding expo in November, a website and other marketing collateral for Caley’s.The 2014 Wildflower Festival in August attracted around 2000 visitors. Work continued on a new visitors centre at the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden scheduled to open by October.


Wildflower Festival


Ku-ring-gai is well led, managed and supported by ethical organisations which deliver projects and services to the community by listening, advocating and responding to their needs.

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Ar bluet t memor ia l AwardFor a second successive year, the Council was shortlisted as a finalist for the AR Bluett Memorial Award in the Metropolitan and Regional category in September. The Bluett Award has been awarded annually to NSW councils since 1945 and is coordinated by LGNSW, the peak body for all 152 NSW councils.

It is keenly contested each year by councils who would like to be recognised as being the most progressive in all aspects of their operations.

The Bluett Award is widely considered to be the most prestigious award in NSW local government. It opens the door to leadership roles among their peers for councils that win the award, an improved public profile and more opportunities to gain grant funding and market their area.

Off ice of local Government scorecardThe Office of Local Government issues a scorecard on NSW councils’ performance each year. This year Ku-ring-gai achieved the following key results:

• Infrastructure audit rated the Council as ‘strong’, noting the large capital works program planned

• Expenditure on roads and footpaths also rated strong, with Ku-ring-gai spending $112 per capita compared with the average of $86.

• Financial sustainability is rated as ‘sound with a neutral outlook’, meaning that the financial position is stable and not expected to change in the near future

• Better than average waste recycling, with Ku-ring-gai residents recycling 60% of their waste, compared with 47% in the state

• 85% of Ku-ring-gai residents micro-chip their pets, compared with the state average of 63%

• Lower than average Council administration costs of $199 per capita, compared with the average of $233

However the report noted that Ku-ring-gai has infrastructure backlog of 31%, compared with 6.8% in the rest of the state. Note also that the report is based on data from the 2012-2013 financial year.


Onl ine payments & book ingsDuring the July-September quarter this was expanded to include most payments for Council events, bookings for the Ku-ring-gai Arts Centre classes and recreation activities such as booking tennis courts.

Grants obta inedThe Council received $525,000 in grant funding from various sources during this quarter, (excluding the annual Federal Assistance Grant).

Work heal th & safetyRisk management has now been incorporated into human resources, providing the opportunity for a coordinated response to risk, insurance and work health and safety issues. In the past year the Council has achieved the following results in work health and safety:

• Incident reports reduced by 31%

• Workcover notifiable incidents - nil

• Lost time injuries reduced by 26.6%

• Workers compensation claims reduced by 37.5%

• Hours lost to injury reduced by 48.7%.

disaster managementA Business Continuity Framework with contingency plans owned by the responsible managers for each service area was developed during this quarter. This is to ensure that loss of service to residents and the community is minimised in the event of a catastrophic event in the Ku-ring-gai area.


A snApshot of our Achievements - Ku-ring-gai Council · issued to a tree lopping company as well as...

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