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Minutes of Cubbitch Barta Steering Committee Meeting

Held: Boardroom, Wollondilly Shire Council Civic Centre

Date/Time: Tuesday, 16 May 2017 at 6:00pm

Attendees: Wollondilly Shire Council - Councillor Noel Lowry (NL), Councillor Matthew Deeth (MD), Mike Nelson (MN), Lauren Ackerly (LA), Tracey Collier (TC).

Steering Committee - Lisa Moore (LM), Craig Thomas (CT), Graeme Robert (GR), Paul Meekin (PM), Jayke Morrison (JM), Brooke Swain (BS), Noel Sharpe (NS), Karen Burgess (KB), Peter Nellies (PM)

Observers: Councillor Michael Banasik (MB)

Apologies: Stephen Ford, Richard Guelfo, Michael Newcombe

The meeting was declared open by Mike Nelson at 6:15pm. The meeting was chaired by Cr Noel Lowry.

Item Action/Officer

1 Nomination of Chairperson by Committee

MN opened the meeting and explained that the first order of business was for the Committee to nominate a chairperson in accordance with Section 5 of the Operational Guidelines. MN explained that NL and MD have discussed this between themselves and that NL has volunteered to be the Chairperson. MD was running a little late to the meeting so was not presently available to comment. MN asked if the Committee had any objections to NL being nominated as Chairperson for the duration of the Steering Committee. There were no objections. Upon MD’s arrival, he stated he had no objections to NL’s nomination.

From this point forward the meeting was chaired by NL.

Steering Committee agreed to NL to act as Chairperson of the Committee.

2 Acknowledgement of Country

The Acknowledgement of Country was read by NL.

3 Attendance & Apologies

Attendees introduced themselves to the Committee. Apologies to the meeting were noted and are listed above.

4 Tasks/Actions

Nil available due to being the first Committee meeting. NL advised that future meetings will include this agenda items to discuss any tasks/actions that arose in previous meetings’ minutes.

5 Responsibilities of Members as per Operational Guidelines

MN read ‘Responsibility of Members’ as per the Operational Guidelines (page 5, section 6). MN asked if any of the attendees had any questions in relation to the Guidelines. None were raised.

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6 Council’s Code of Conduct

MN explained the purpose of Council’s ‘Code of Conduct’ and the difference between pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests. He discussed the need for members to disclose any conflicts of interest and provided an example of what a conflict of interest was. MN said that if required he was happy to meet with people after the meeting to discuss this further. It was explained to Committee members that they are required to sign the ‘Declaration for Members of Council’s Community Advisory Committees’ to indicate that they have read and will act in accordance with the Code of Conduct and the Operational Guidelines.

Committee Members to sign and return ‘Declaration for Members of Council’s Community Advisory Committees’ to TC.

7 Purpose of the Committee

MN read the ‘Objective of the Steering Committee’ as per the Operational Guidelines (page 3, section 1).

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Key Focus Areas of the Committee

MN read the ‘Role of the Steering Committee’ as per the Operational Guidelines (page 3, section 2). This section explained the key focus areas of the Committee.

MB discussed some of the history of the formation of the Committee to provide some context. About eight (8) years ago the developer had proposed to build a small community hall within the reserve but there was resident opposition to this. Council decided that nothing should be done until the end of the development by Stocklands. By this stage many residents enjoyed the views of the parklands and did not want the hall. Subsequently, Stocklands entered into a Planning Agreement with Council which resulted in funds being transferred to Council at the end of their development. The funds being based on the maintenance and embellishment of facilities within Cubbitch Barta Reserve specifically.

LM/PN asked for clarification of how much money was available, as PN had conflicting information as to the amount available. LA stated the amount was approximately $620,000. Confusion surrounded the fact that there was $740,000 stated in the Planning Agreement however it was explained that the Planning Agreement specified that $120,000 is to be designated towards the maintenance of the stormwater management facilities.

Discussion took place across the table as to the difference between maintenance and embellishment. It was explained that the funds were not intended for maintenance. MN briefly advised that there was a process for raising maintenance issues (Council’s CRM system) and that this was an item on tonight’s agenda.

PN asked for confirmation as to when handover from the developer occurred. NL/MN responded is saying that it occurred in February this year. PN raised the deterioration of the park, in particular the termite damage to the bridges and stated that this did not just happen since February. Discussions were held regarding g the recent closure of the timber bridge and frustrations around the issue. MN acknowledged that the issue

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was frustrating and the degree of damage was a surprise to Council but also acknowledged that the timber structures were now some 15yrs old and has suffered from the protracted hand over process (to the assets detriment). Council had engaged a independent review of the structures and was hopeful that any issues raised could be treated as maintenance issues in the short term.

9 The Customer Request Management Process

MN discussed that the Committee was not a forum to raise maintenance issues and that the funds were not to be directed towards maintenance issues. A Customer Request Management (CRM) information sheet (Attachment 1) was distributed to Committee members to explain the most appropriate way to report and request maintenance issues.

MB clearly stated that if something breaks, Council will fix it.

MD stated that this is the avenue he uses himself to get work done around Bridgewater and Cubbitch Barta Reserve, and it was very effective and efficient. He said it is helpful to include as much information as possible including photographs to help Council pinpoint the exact location of the issue.

NS raised concerns about a loose board on the northern pedestrian bridge that could cause an injury. MN stated that this would be entered into the CRM system to be repaired.

NL asked the Committee if any of them had used the system before. LM said she can see it works given MD’s success with issues now being addressed around the estate. PM said he has used the CRM system before and it works well.

NS raised the issue of embellishment versus maintenance in the context of the $120,000 for the water pumps. MN confirmed that funds had already been put aside for them and once the larger rectification works undertaken, the pumps would fall under a routine maintenance schedule.

TC to raise CRM on behalf of NS regarding a potentially dangerous loose board on the northern bridge of the park that could cause injury if not addressed.

10 Schedule of Future Meetings

Discussion was had as to a schedule of future meetings. NL and several committee members highlighted a want for monthly meetings – that way as ideas come to mind and issues are brought up it isn’t too long between meetings to bring them forward to the Committee. MN stated that according to the Operational Guidelines (page 4) the ‘Steering Committee is to meet as required (nominally bi-monthly initially and as required thereafter). More frequent meetings may be convened as the need arises’. MN tabled the handout ‘Schedule of Future Meetings’ (Attachment 2) and advised that the document outlines what the Committee can expect in terms of notice, emails to be received and agenda items. This handout listed meetings as occurring bi-monthly. NL stated that the Committee could further discuss monthly versus bi-monthly meetings under ‘General Business’ later on the agenda.

11 Demographics

LA took the Committee through a PowerPoint presentation to

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summarise the demographics of the area surrounding Cubbitch Barta Reserve, to assist the Committee in understanding who we are planning for. This presentation forms Attachment 3 of these Minutes. The statistics represented in the presentation were discussed generally across the group.

MD/NL/LA spoke to the Committee about the importance of building ‘liveable communities’ that promote a healthy lifestyle. In this regard there is a great importance on Cubbitch Barta Reserve as being a hub for healthy activity such as walking/running, cycling, outdoor play and socialising since most people spend the rest of their time at work/school or driving outside of the area.

12 Survey Results

LA raised discussion around the initial survey that was distributed to the Committee a few weeks earlier. She said we received 8/13 responses, which was a good result to give us an idea of the things we were looking at. Based on this data the following could be determined:

All those who responded (or their children) visit the park.

The most popular reasons for visiting the park were walking/running followed by using the grassed area for ball games or for exercise.

Reasons people have for not wanting to utilise the park were are a lack of toilets and weeds/bindii in the grass.

Most people like the park because of the cycleway/pathways and the landscaping.

The most popular initial ideas for improvements to the park were additional rest areas/seating/covered picnic area and improved maintenance.

The complete results of the survey form Attachment 4 of these minutes.

13 Council’s Needs

MN raised the needs of Council’s maintenance workers as being an issue for the Committee to consider. In order for Council’s maintenance workers to have more time to spend on the Reserve, they require a storage shed and bathroom facilities on or close to the site.

PN/NS asked if this would be something that comes out of the $620,000 funding. NL responded yes. MN/NL explained that if toilets are something to be considered they would be for both the staff and the park users. NS said that he would be supportive of a toilet available to the community, which included storage for Council but would need to be locked at night and not an eye sore.

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Ideas from Committee Members

NL invited the members of the Committee to discuss the ideas and thoughts that they had identified in an informal gathering that they had prior to this meeting.

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LM said that a lot of things that appeared on the survey results as being suitable for the demographic of the community, were things that came out of the members’ discussions. Their focus was on ‘non-intrusive’ embellishments.

GR stated that some of the items they had brainstormed included 4m x 4m shelter/huts as found in other reserves, revamping the amphitheatre area, and the addition of outdoor gym equipment.

The Committee discussed their differing views on the need for a toilet block. Whilst there were benefits to these facilities being available, especially for young local families having BBQ’s or birthday parties, some Committee members were concerned about it being an attractive area for anti-social behaviour.

PM discussed the use of the Reserve by the Dilly Wanderer and mentioned that it would be good for them to have a covered area they could utilise for their activities.

BS/KB raised the issue of the existing playground being secluded and dangerous. They felt that the equipment was out-dated and the overgrown vegetation surrounding the playground makes adequate supervision difficult. It would be good if the equipment could be upgraded and the surrounding vegetation cut back.

CT/LS mentioned having more BBQs and picnic areas. NS raised that in this instance we need to ensure that structures were made of steel and concrete, and not timber given the termite issues in the Reserve. MB said that the Committee should also steer away from shade cloth structures, as these deteriorate quickly and are not suitable in wet weather. This view was supported by LM.

NL raised JM’s suggested regarding changing one of the tennis courts into a multi-purpose court. JM advised that he and other youth in the community would benefit from this as it could accommodate basketball, netball and handball as well as many other activities. LM/KB/PM/BS said this was a good idea as many people did conduct other sporting activities on the courts already.

NL/JM stated that the idea is that the Reserve becomes the centre of the community. It’s a place where people can meet up socially and also get to know new people.

NL/NS discussed with the Committee doing a survey on a wider scale – across the community and not just the attendees to scope out what they want to ensure fairness and transparency. LM asked if the purpose of their being Committee members was for this. MD/MN/LM discussed the recommendation that the Committee narrow down their options to 5 or so ideas and then approach the community for feedback.

PN raised the lighting of the Reserve as a topic of discussion. He stated that there are existing conduits around the path for lighting but they were never commissioned. It was discussed that lighting can either invite undesirable behaviour or make it safer for users in the evenings. MN recognised lighting as a

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‘double edged sword’. While it’s beneficial for the community it places the assumption that the reserve is a safe place and it may not necessarily be that. PN/NL/NS/GR discussed if lighting was a preferred option, whether it would fall within the $620,000 or could Endeavour Energy be involved. MN confirmed that it would be something that comes from the Committee’s budget.

JM further discussed that his other thoughts for the Reserve were toilets, as it was not always convenient to run back to the house, as well as lighting.

MN asked the Committee how popular the tennis courts were with the community. PM stated that in summer you could wait a while for a court, but most of the time it was only one being used. It might be a possibility that one of the tennis courts could be converted to a multi-purpose court. Discussion took place about whether or not the courts should be locked. PM discussed that for a while there were issues with people running businesses from the courts without any approval and even telling residents to get off courts or specifying when they could or couldn’t mow their lawns as a result. PM/LM/PN also indicated that if the courts are locked people simply cut the fences to get in. MB stated that one option later down the track might be to establish a management committee (separate from this present Steering Committee) to facilitate the use of the tennis courts.

PN stated that the priority should be for the use and benefit of the local residents rather than users from outside of the area.

PN raised the issue of the reeds and unmaintained waterways. There used to be many more carp, koi, ducks and turtles and now there seems to be a lot less due to a lack of maintenance. It would be good to see the Reserve return to the state of natural beauty it originally had.

MN/LM discussed with the Committee the tennis courts being used for other sports. There was discussion of establishing a new multi-purpose court versus converting one of the two existing courts into one. It was agreed that converting would definitely be cheaper than establishing a new court.

MN/BS/KB discussed the playground suitability and location. The history of the playground was discussed. CT stated that originally it was built next door to the first display/sales centre to keep children entertained. The issue of the overgrown vegetation surrounding the play equipment makes it unsafe.

MN raised the Committee’s suggestion of adult exercise equipment around the park. This is quite popular at the moment and Council has been looking at this for other areas as well. GR/KB/LM asked whether it is more suitable for this to be placed around the park, or near the playground equipment. NL stated that down the coast it’s spread out along walking tracks, as it is in Camden by the river but the distance between them is wider – suitable for running/walking from station to station. The size of this reserve may make this layout unsuitable as the

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stations of equipment would be quite close to each other. NL asked for the opinion of LA, who would have studied this in her role. LA stated that there appears to be greater benefit in placing a bigger station of items together in the one spot and preferably near play equipment as it invites parents/carers that are supervising children to exercise. The people who would run station to station are more likely to already be active exercisers.

PM raised the service to the community that the Dilly Wanderer brings to the estate, and that they have no shelter or covered area to operate from, and it’s difficult to take the van directly to the site to unload. The refurbishment of the amphitheatre would be good for this purpose.

BS said that aside from sheltered BBQs with picnic tables and seating that it would be good to have more benches scattered throughout the park. These would be appreciated by walkers/runners, young families and older users of the Reserve.

PM stated that toilet facilities within the reserve could go two ways – whilst they were good for use by the local community and especially families with young children, older people, and Council staff, there were also issues with them being a target for anti-social behaviour and therefore a large maintenance expense due to vandalism. BS asked if MN could provide a rough figure on how much a bathroom facility would cost, MN responded between $100,000 and $150,000. GR was concerned about potential graffiti. PN stated that for locals, they can go home to use the bathroom and that toilets might attract too many users from outside of the estate.

MN/PN/KB discussed the native trees in the Reserve. They could look at redesigning/planting on slopes to reduce mowing requirements. MN explained that the less time Council staff spent mowing, the more time that could be spent on other maintenance activities such as removing dead reeds or cutting back overgrown vegetation.

PM wanted to raise positive feedback about the Council workers that are currently attending to the mowing and maintenance work around the Reserve. They are doing a good job and are always friendly and polite. MD asked if the CRM process was the best way to go about this. MN/NL responded by saying that feedback should go to Brad Staggs, the Manager of that team. MD could send him an email.

NS was supportive of the idea of landscaping and planting on slopes. He would like to see retaining walls and stairs as opposed to the slopes. LM raised that this would cost much more money.

NL brought discussion back to distributing the ideas through the community. The attendees discussed how and who would carry this out. It was decided that the Committee members would clarify 4-5 ideas and bring it back to the next meeting, where MN’s team could provide an estimate of scale and cost.

Committee members to confirm 4-5 ideas they want to put forward to greater community in survey

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15 Mapping Exercise

LA explained that the group would conduct an exercise to map out where they want the ideas they had been discussing. The group were each provided with an A3 image of Cubbitch Barta Reserve and were instructed to note down where they wanted the ideas placed. These were collected by LA/TC at the end of the meeting. The Committee was told that LA/TC would collate the results to provide feedback at the next meeting.

LA/TC to assess the returned maps and collate results in easy-to-read format for discussion at next meeting.

16 General Business

NL suggested that the Committee go around the table and offer up four or five of their own suggestions:

o JM: Toilets, outdoor gym equipment, playground upgrade and multipurpose court.

o PN: Big landscaping clean out to bring the estate back to its original beauty, designed in a way to minimise maintenance, restore the waterfall feature and feature lighting around it.

o GR: Replace the vegetation with the right plants for minimal maintenance and longevity, covered seating/BBQ area, outdoor gym equipment and revamped amphitheatre. The amphitheatre would be a great community asset and can facilitate things such as community Christmas carols or the like to bring people together. Does not agree with public/community toilet block.

o LM: As GR said – improve the botanical aspect, have more seating scattered around the park to enjoy the gardens/landscapes, an undercover shaded BBQ area for family gatherings, outdoor gym equipment near the playground area and improvements to the playground area firstly fixing what we can. Clear the vegetation around the playground if there isn’t a concern about the proximity to the pond once the area is opened up.

o CT: Undecided on the toilet. He recognises there is a need but does not want something open to the public. Wanting to see outdoor gym equipment, seating throughout the park and playground improvements in line with what LM has said. CT is also interested in an undercover seating area. NL said in relation to the toilets another option could be a residents committee to manage locking and access.

o PM: Interested in seeing a “less is more” approach and having the vegetation scaled right back with appropriate plant choices made for easier maintenance. He would like to see more bench seating throughout the park, outdoor gym equipment and an upgrade to the playground area.

o BS: Would like to see the playground area opened up more with vegetation cleared to improve the line of vision. At the moment it’s too secluded and you can’t always see what’s happening. BS would also like to see a multi-purpose court installed and bench seating throughout the park. CT/MB mentioned with regards to the cutting back of vegetation

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would the residents living directly opposite the area disagree with this point. BS stated that from their position nothing would change, it’s what is in the line of sight when you are down looking back towards the playground. MD noted that the Environment Team did a review of the trees in the area and many are at the end of their life so scheduled for removal.

o KB: Multi-purpose court, cut back overgrown vegetation, planting on slopes, more BBQ’s, renovate/revamp amphitheatre and outdoor gym equipment near playground.

o NS asked why there is only one entry into the estate. PN/NL confirmed it was due to a fatal car accident. He asked if a roundabout was possible. NL stated that this would be something to raise with Local and State Members of Parliament.

o NS stated that he agreed with improving the botanical aspects and vegetation around the reserve, and would like to see some ‘passive’ lighting (e.g. around the waterfall and bridge areas).

o LA confirmed that the ‘less is more’ approach was a good one to take.

PM asked about the water tower and who owned that. NL/MN confirmed it was Sydney Water. PM mentioned could it be worth approaching them for space to use within their fenced area for Council’s maintenance equipment as it would be fenced off. PM/MN/CT discussed concerns surrounding storage of Council’s tools and equipment and risk of theft and vandalism if a storage shed for Council’s maintenance equipment together with toilets for community use was established.

Discussion came back to the frequency of meetings. It was settled that the formal Cubbitch Barta Steering Committee meetings with Council would continue to be held bi-monthly at this stage with the next meeting scheduled for July. NL told the Committee members that if they so wish they could continue to meet informally at Camden Valley Inn as they had previous to this meeting.

17 WHS

There were no Work Health and Safety issues raised.

MD/NL thanked the Committee and Council Officers for their time and noted that this was a very constructive meeting with a clear direction and positive outlook. There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was declared closed by NL at 8:15pm. Next Meeting Date: Tuesday 18 July, 2017 at 6:00pm.

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Attachment 1

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