Wagga City Council 27 April Ordinary Meeting

Active Travel Plan rolls on

A new stage in the construction of Wagga’s Wagga Active Travel Plan Cycle Way was given a green light by Council tonight.

Council accepted Fulton Hogan Industries Pty Ltd’s offer to complete a 26km section of the plan, comprising approximately 15km of new shared path and 11km of asphalt overlay on existing shared path.

The Active Travel Plan project will deliver 42km of cycleways that connect to 3km of existing cycleway providing a 45km network linking residential parts of the city with the CBD and other key destinations, such as the university.

The project will deliver a mix of asphalt concrete and concrete pathways that are predominantly separated from traffic on shared pathways or on-road separated cycle paths.

Council accepted the offer of $3,360,126 ex gst to complete the 26km section of works.

CONF-3 RFQ2020-538 ACTIVE TRAVEL PLAN CYCLE WAY CONSTRUCTION

Community to benefit from facilities

The development of community and sporting facilities in Wagga Wagga’s Northern Growth Area took a positive step forward tonight with Council endorsing negotiations between two key partners.

Council agreed to enter into a 20-year joint use agreement with the Department of Education to develop community facilities as part of the new Estella School. This would include a community meeting space, school hall and circulation areas.

Continued negotiations to enter into a joint use agreement with Charles Sturt University have also been endorsed towards the development of the Northern Sporting Precinct and the planning of future community use of CSU recreational assets.

CONF-1 ESTELLA SCHOOL AND NORTHERN SPORTING PRECINT UPDATE

Land development works

Preliminary works towards the development of residential land at Gobbagombalin will be carried out by Burgess Earthmoving Pty Ltd

Council has accepted an offer of $1,437,791 ex gst for the stormwater, sewer trunk mains and detention basins works.

This project will service 50.8ha of land which will ultimately create 397 residential lots.

CONF-4 RFT2020-27 STORMWATER, SEWER TRUNK MAINS AND DETENTION BASINS

Budget variations approved

Council has approved the proposed 2019/20 budget variations for the month ended 31 March 2020. These include:

• Museum Exhibition Space Fit Out - $144K: Council has been successful in securing State Government Grant funding under the November 2019 - Arts & Culture Grant Funding program. The grant funding ($68K) will enable Council to fit-out the museum exhibition space as part of the Museum of the Riverina Redevelopment through the purchase of high-quality exhibition cases. With the grant funding requiring Council to match the grant funds it is proposed to fund Council’s portion ($76K) from existing Museum operational budgets.
• Bushfire Community Resilience & Economic Recovery - $100K: Council has been successful in securing State and Commonwealth Government Joint Grant funding ($100K) under the Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery Funds: Phase 1 program. The aim of this funding is to meet the immediate recovery needs of the communities directly affected by the recent natural disaster.
• Valuation of Wagga Airport Assets - $43K: As part of Stage 2 of the Airport accounting review, Council has engaged a consultant to undertake a valuation of the Airport infrastructure assets. It is proposed to fund these works from the Airport Reserve.
• Pipe Network Relocation of Rising Mains - $120K: Additional funds are required for the Pipe Network Relocation of Rising Mains for Sheppard Street, Forsyth Street and Simmons Street Sewer Pump Stations due to a required change in scope of works for the project. The change in scope includes additional under bores, connections and road restorations. This will bring the total project budget to $1.16M. It is proposed to fund the variation from the Sewer Reserve.
• Narrung Street Treatment Plant Flood Protection - $230K: A Polyethylene (PE) liner is required to be installed in the Narrung Street Emergency Storage Pond to ensure sewage does not enter the groundwater and river. Previous drought conditions have made the installation of the PE liner non-urgent.
• Bomen NBN Area Switch - $1.395M: It is proposed to separate and bring forward into 2019/20 the Bomen NBN Area Switch from the Riverina Intermodal Freight and Logistics (RiFL) Stage 2C - Industrial Subdivision - Civil Works Project which is scheduled to start in 2020/21 due to the availability of NBN to undertake the works earlier than originally anticipated. The works are funded from grant funds provided by Infrastructure NSW as part of the Growing Local Economies program.
• RP-1 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE REPORT AS AT 31 MARCH 2020

Community groups’ rent reduction

A number of sporting and cultural groups which utilise Council facilities will receive a reduction in their annual rent or licence fee.

Council has agreed to the community tenant abatements for locally based, independent not-for-profit community groups affected by restrictions or closures brought about by the pandemic.

A reduction representing one quarter (April-June 2020) will mean a credit of $11,342 to a total of 54 groups. Council will also review rent deductions after 1 June 2020 on a monthly basis.

RP-2 COMMUNITY TENANT ABATEMENTS

Terms of reference updated

Council has agreed to endorse the revised Floodplain Risk Management Advisory Committee (FRMAC) Terms of Reference.

At its meeting on 4 February 2020, FRMAC considered both: a). a proposal to change the composition of community member representation on the Committee, and b) amendments to the FRMAC Terms of Reference to align the Council’s policy and current organisation structure.

The report can be accessed in the business papers at wagga.nsw.gov.au/councilmeeting

RP-3 UPDATED TERMS OF REFERENCE - FLOODPLAIN RISK

Rent abatement

Council has agreed to provide a rent abatement due to hardship owing to the affects of the pandemic.

CONF-2 TENANT HARDSHIP