Agenda of Policy Review Committee Meeting

*Policy Review Committee Meeting*	*18 May 2009*
*The City in its Environment*

The City in its Environment

Western Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) Squad

Compiled by: Barry Ryan, Waste and Community Protection Manager

Authorised by: Barry Ryan, Waste and Community Protection Manager

Strategic Program Term Achievement: Council’s planning policies, land use, regulatory controls and asset management practices enhance the visual amenity of the City.

Critical Action: Develop and implement compliance and regulatory programs to protect the visual amenity of the City.

Presenters: Barry Ryan - PCC - RID Squad

Purpose:

To provide Councillors with a presentation on the Western Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) Squad. The report recommends that the information contained in the report and the presentation be received and that the General Manager be authorised to sign the Western Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) Squad Strategic Alliance Agreement.

Background

The Western Sydney RID Squad was formed in 1999, as a response to the growing problem of the illegal dumping of waste. The RID Squad is a partnership between the State Government and local councils aimed at addressing the illegal dumping of waste material throughout Western Sydney. Current members of the Strategic Alliance include Bankstown, Baulkham Hills, Fairfield, Holroyd, Liverpool and Penrith Councils and the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC).

Penrith City Council has hosted the RID Squad since its conception and in 2002 Council took over management of the project. A formal agreement with the project partners has been developed to project manage the Squad in accordance with a Service Specification. The current agreement is due to conclude on 30 June 2009.

Each participating council has agreed to participate in the RID Squad pursuant to Section 355 of the Local Government Act 1993 and enter into the Strategic Alliance to carry out the project.

The Department of Environment and Climate Change provides significant funding to the project to assist in offsetting operational costs. In 2009/2010 DECC will provide $58,551 per Council to the project (total of $351,306).

In any given year the RID Squad has issued between $100,000 - $150,000 in penalty infringement notices. Fine income is used to offset the costs of maintaining the RID Squad project. Each Council will be required to contribute $58,551 to support the operation of the RID Squad in 2009/2010 (In addition to the DECC contribution).

Penrith Council’s contribution has been budgeted for in the current Operational Plan process.

The RID Squad Committee has confirmed that Penrith Council is the most appropriate Council to continue management of the RID Squad, given the satisfactory performance to date and logistic issues should the RID Squad be transferred to another Council. To manage the RID Squad, Penrith Council charges a project management fee ($55,077 in 2009/2010).

Each participating Council has delegated the authority to employees of the RID Squad, employed by Penrith City Council, the necessary rights, powers and authorities that the RID Squad staff require to undertake their work within the respective Council area.

Current Situation

The Western Sydney RID Squad is unique in that staff employed by one Council operate across the six local government areas, providing a service that would otherwise not be able to be afforded by a single local Council.

Project staff can operate individually, in pairs, or as a team, to tackle specific waste dumping issues in an area, thereby providing a service to the community that otherwise would not be able to be provided by an individual Council.

In mid 2006, the Western Sydney RID Squad was highly commended in the Efficiency Improvement category at the National Awards for Local Government, run by the Australian Government’s Department of Transport and Regional Services. This category was chosen, as it best reflects the contribution of the Squad to reducing the cost of providing regulatory services to project member Councils in Western Sydney, while maintaining the standard of those services.

The Western Sydney RID Squad is a deterrent program, utilising an autonomous team of specialised investigation officers, targeting the illegal disposal of waste throughout Western Sydney. It consists of a strategic alliance of six Councils and the NSW Government. Bankstown, Baulkham Hills, Fairfield, Holroyd, Liverpool and Penrith City Councils and the Department of Environment and Climate Change are current alliance members. Liverpool City Council joined the Squad in July 2006.

Significant outcomes of the RID Squad project include:

· It has provided member councils with a significant resource without all the inherent costs

· Each council is provided with the ability (which occurs during specific operations) to target a specific area or /issue with all staff of the Squad

· The community has benefited from the reduction of illegal dumping

· The community has also benefited through cost savings derived from the sharing of RID project and staff resources

· Illegally dumped waste that has been successfully tracked to a responsible person or company is required to be removed by that person or company, thereby saving the community the costs of removal and disposal of the waste

· The RID Squad have issued a total of over $1,000,000 in fines since the commencement of operation

The nature of illegally dumped waste in the Penrith Local Government Area has changed considerably over the past five years. Whilst there are fewer incidents of the illegal dumping of significant amounts of waste, there are still a considerable number of incidents on a minor scale; i.e., 0.5-5 tonnes of waste, particularly in bushland areas.

Some strategies have further reduced this level of dumping, including the placement of gates on fire trails, fencing of some areas, and increased patrols and enforcement.

Various strategies are used by the staff of the RID Squad to identify illegal dumping sites and offenders, including aerial surveillance using helicopters.

A presentation will be made to provide Council with an overview of the RID Squad and recent incidents investigated.

Strategic Alliance Agreement

Council is currently a signatory to a strategic alliance agreement with the five other Councils and the Department of Environment and Climate Change to co-operate in the running of the RID Squad.

This agreement lapses on 30 June 2009, and a new agreement for a term of 3 years with an option of a further 3 years has been developed and will need to be signed.

The current agreement identifies each party’s responsibility in regard to co-operation, delegation of authority, role of the Management Committee, role of the Project Manager and employment of staff. The agreement also provides for an exit strategy on conclusion of the project. The new agreement does not significantly vary from the existing agreement.

Acting Financial Services Manager’s Comment

Council’s contribution of $58,600 to the Western Sydney RID Squad has been provided for in the 2009-10 Operational Plan. This contribution will be funded by the DECC Waste Performance Incentive Payments.

Given that the operational costs of the RID Squad are substantially subsidised by DECC and this structure allows for economies of scale to be achieved, Council’s contribution is significantly lower than would otherwise be required to fund this type of activity independently.

RECOMMENDATION

That:

1. The information contained in the report and the presentation on the Western Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) Squad be received.

2. The General Manager be authorised to sign the Western Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping (RID) Squad Strategic Alliance Agreement.

ATTACHMENTS/APPENDICES

There are no attachments for this report.

*Policy Review Committee Meeting*	*18 May 2009*
*The City Supported by Infrastructure*

The City Supported by Infrastructure

Future Footpath Delivery Program

Compiled by: Hans Meijer, Acting Parks Construction and Maintenance Manager

Gowry Gowrythasan, Acting City Works Manager

Andrew Moore, Acting Financial Services Manager

Authorised by: Wayne Mitchell, Group Manager - City Infrastructure

Strategic Program Term Achievement: A plan is being implemented for bus shelters, cycleways and footpath networks having regard for the access, health and recreational needs of the community.

Critical Action: Develop and implement footpath, cycleway and bus shelter programs, incorporating recommendations from the PLAN Study and identify the recurrent maintenance costs and funding sources.

Presenters: Hans Meijer - City Works - Future Footpath Delivery Strategy

Purpose:

To present the draft Future Footpath Delivery Program which incorporates identified missing links within the existing network. The report recommends that the draft Footpath Delivery Program be adopted.

Background

Council adopted a 10 year Pedestrian Access & Mobility Plan (PAMP) - Footpath Improvement Program in 2001 to guide the provision of pedestrian facilities in the City. The objectives of the Plan were:

· To facilitate improvements in the level of pedestrian access and priority, particularly in areas of high demand;

· To provide links with other transport services to achieve an integrated network of facilities;

· To ensure that pedestrian facilities are appropriate and relevant to the surrounding land use and user groups;

· To improve pedestrian safety and amenity in the City;

· To increase community use of pedestrian facilities and promote walking as a viable alternative for shorter trips, and hence reduce car dependency;

· To facilitate the integration of walking into the transport system as a legitimate transport mode in its own right.

The program was based on providing a footpath on at least one side of all local streets where pedestrian conflict would be unacceptable, and where a strong pedestrian desire line exists. The footpath paving program was prioritised according to evaluation criteria that was included in the Plan. A total score was determined by conducting a site visit and weighting a score against the criteria.

The criteria and its weightings were based on the following:

Table 1: Criteria and Weightings

Criteria		Weightings
Proximity to pedestrian generators and attractors (on road distance)	Within 250m of travel 250-500m of travel >500m travel	15 10 0
Estimated Traffic Volumes (2 way flow)	6000+ vehicles per day (vpd) >2000 - <6000 vpd <2000 vpd Through Reserve/Off-Road path	10 5 0 5
Nature of Predominant Users (young/aged/disabled/parents with prams)	Yes/No	5 or 0
Evidence of Wear	Continuous worn track Discontinuous worn track Continuous slight evidence Discontinuous slight evidence No evidence	20 15 10 5 0

A threshold of ten points was set to determine the projects to include in the program.

The original list with the total of 256 footpath projects was adopted in 2001 and was estimated at $6.7m. The budget was increased to $750,000 each year with a projected completion time of ten years. Additional footpath projects were added to the program each year at the request of Councillors and the community and given a priority based on the score against the criteria. A total of 107 additional projects were added on to the original list between 2001 and 2006.

A review of the program in 2006/2007 found that 81km of footpath had been completed at a cost of $3.95m. This represented 70% of the original list of projects, but with the additional requests added over the six years, there was still a further 65km remaining.

In the lead up to the 2007-08 Management Plan, Council resolved to accelerate the program by borrowing $4m over two years. This completed the balance of the program earlier than its scheduled completion in 2012-13. This accelerated program allowed Council to take advantage of economies of scale to drive down the unit rate whilst providing improved amenity for pedestrians.

It was also agreed by Council that only projects on the adopted list at the time would be completed in the last two years of the program. Further requests from the community have been collated and considered together with other information from a detailed review of missing links and future footpath needs.

Completion of the Current Footpath Improvement Program

The adopted program of priority footpath works under PAMP has now been completed. A total of 141kms of path paving has been delivered under this program. The accelerated work was based on borrowings with the funding strategy anticipating four years of minimal activity to fund the repayments.

Savings of $150,000 in the current year were reported to Council in the December review, while final details of this year’s program are still being finalised, a further $400,000 in savings are anticipated by the end of the financial year and these savings will be used to facilitate a $550,000 program in 2009-10.

Savings have been achieved primarily because of the scale of the program which has attracted good unit rates and through good project management. Careful planning of each project resulted in a high level of re-use of excavated materials within the program and other projects of Council. Additional costs for the relocation of services was also limited by the realignment of the footpaths where appropriate and through agreements with the utility companies.

Two larger projects in Dunheved Circuit and Links Road were also deferred due to the major public utility project in this area that would have damaged these paths. The value of these two paths is approximately $162,000. The necessity of these two paths has also been questioned by some land owners in the area, and as a result, their priority in any future program will be further assessed.

Future Program

Following completion of the projects identified in the 2001 PAMP, an audit of the existing footpath network in the City was undertaken to identify “missing links” for development of a future footpath paving program.

Council’s GIS Department currently have all the existing path paving network mapped. A hard copy of these maps was produced and Council’s Traffic Section conducted a desk top audit to determine if existing footpaths were linked to create a network. Following completion of the desktop audit a site inspection was conducted to rank each identified location using the same criteria as originally developed in the 2001 PAMP. The projects in the recommended list have been ranked as follows: Points 35 and above is High, points 25 and 30 are Medium, points 20 and below is Low.

Site inspections also assessed the topography and existing features to determine if a path could be physically constructed given the site constraints. Following completion of the site assessments the following criteria was used to identify projects to be considered as “missing links” for the future footpath delivery program:

1. Projects having High or Medium priority

2. Projects with a total length less than 1000m. (It was considered that projects greater in length than 1000m, were not “missing links” and were new major projects to be considered in a future PAMP

3. Site suitability, existing footway cross fall, locations of existing services.

Table 2 shows the recommended list of projects. The list is broken up into Wards and includes a ranking. It is intended that the high ranking projects will be constructed first.

Table 2: Future Footpath Program

NORTH
Street	Location	Suburb	(m)	Rank
Grays Lane	80m from Hindmarsh St	Cranebrook	80	High
Dunheved Road	John Oxley Ave to Henry Lawson Ave	Werrington County	300	High
Reserve	Dunheved Rd (from Greenbank Dr West) to Barlow St	Cambridge Park	175	High
Greenbank Drive	Bungalow Pde to connect Laneway	Werrington County	215	High
McHenry Road	Existing Footpath to existing Footpath (on the western side)	Cranebrook	200	High
Linden Crescent	Grays Ln to Linden Cres	Cranebrook	610	High
The Kingsway	Werrington Rd to Existing Footpath	St Marys	530	High
Henry Lawson Avenue	Ovens Dr to John Batman Ave	Werrington County	650	High
Pendock Road	Nepean St to Borrowdale Way (on both sides)	Cranebrook	210	Medium
Reserve	Princess St to Princess St	Werrington	155	Medium
John Oxley Avenue	Dunheved Rd to Princess St	Werrington County	990	Medium
Greenbank Drive	Pasturegate Ave to Dunheved Road	Werrington Downs	650	Medium
Millstream Road	Greenbank Dr to Brookfield Ave	Werrington Downs	560	Medium
Gascoigne Street	Phillip St to Richmond Rd	Cambridge Pk	230	Medium
Witcom Street	Borrowdale Way to End of Rd	Cranebrook	400	Medium
The Northern Road	Borrowdale Way and Ninth Ave	Llandilo	950	Medium
Jamieson Street	Russell Street to Grey Street	Emu Plains	420	Medium
Henry Lawson Av	Dunheved Rd to Singleton Av	Werrington Cnty	250	Medium
Oxford Street	Wrench Street to Aberdeen Street	Cambridge Park	350	Medium
Lewis Road	Trinity Drive to Boomerang Pl	Cambridge Gdns	260	Medium
Huntington Parade	Trinity Drive to Pasturegate Avenue	Cambridge Gdns	470	Medium
Gwandalan Street	Emerald Street to Nepean Street (north side)	Emu Plains	398	Medium
Haynes Street	The Crescent to Thurston Street	Penrith	370	Medium
Sherringham Road	Pendock Rd and The Northern Road	Cranebrook	650	Medium

EAST
Street	Location	Suburb	(m)	Rank
Debrincat Avenue	Boronia Rd to Boundary Rd	North St Marys	325	High
Forrester Road	Maple Rd to Boronia Rd	North St Marys	250	High
Clarence Lane	Clarence Rd to Walkers Ln	St Clair	50	High
Sunflower Drive	Sandpiper Cres to Myrtle Rd	Claremont Mdws	45	High
Swallow Drive	Erskine Park Rd to Warbler St	Erskine Park	190	High
Reserve	Ends of Rd Newmoon Pl & Rainbow Pl	St Clair	40	High
St Clair Avenue	Bennett Rd to Existing Footpath	St Clair	130	High
Cosgrove Cres	Pearson Street to Great Western Hwy	Kingswood	170	Medium
Cypress Street	Maple Rd to Boronia Rd	North St Marys	260	Medium
Mallee Street	Maple Rd to Poplar St	North St Marys	200	Medium
Cook Parade	McIntyre Ave to Clyde Ave	St Clair	620	Medium
Coonawarra Dr	Leicester Way to Bennett Rd	St Clair	165	Medium
Newmoon Place	Timesweep Dr to Reserve	St Clair	200	Medium
Merinda Street	Carinya Ave to Kalang Ave	St Marys	240	Medium
Shepherd Street	Oxford St to Marsden St	St Marys	450	Medium
Wilson Street	Pages Rd to Barker St	St Marys	240	Medium
Reserve	Diamantina Pl to Reddington Ave	St Clair	125	Medium
Great Western Hwy	Syd Uni entrance to existing path near Gipps St (South Side)	Werrington	700	Medium
Bennett Road	Erskine Park Rd to Banks Drive (west side)	St Clair	510	Medium
Chameleon Drive	Swallow Dr to Existing Footpath	Erskine Park	285	Medium
Catalina Street	Forrester Rd to Anzac St	North St Marys	325	Medium
Napunyah Way	Blackwell Ave to End of Road	St Clair	230	Medium
Bass Street	Shepherd St to Desborough St	St Marys	400	Medium
Dollin Street	Alam St to Shepherd St	St Marys	310	Medium
Parkin Road	Alam St to Carpenter St	St Marys	485	Medium
Schultz Street	Murray Ave to Carpenter St	St Marys	300	Medium
Saddington Street	Monfarville St to Collins St	St Marys	190	Medium
First Street	Santley Cres to West St	Kingswood	733	Medium
Jacka Street	Morris St to Flemming St (north side)	Colyton	330	Medium

SOUTH
Street	Location	Suburb	(m)	Rank
Glenmore Parkway	School entrance to Existing Footpath	Glenmore Park	280	High
The Lakes Drive	Caroline Chisholm to Caroline Chisholm	Glenmore Park	110	High
Kukundi Drive	Infront of Glenmore Park Primary School	Glenmore Pk	100	High
Batt Street	York Rd to Mulgoa Rd	Jamisontown	450	High
Batt Street	Racecourse Rd to Parsons Ave	South Penrith	450	High
Glenbrook Street	Ikin St to end of Glenbrook St into reserve/joining the existing footpath	Jamisontown	520	High
York Road	Maxwell St to Ikin St	South Penrith	340	High
Ikin Street	Glenbrook St to Kurmond St	Jamisontown	210	Medium
Derby Street	Bringelly Rd to Somerset St (south side)	Kingswood	440	Medium
Stafford Street	Somerset St to Bringelly Rd	Kingswood	450	Medium
Glen Road	Outlook Ave to Old Bathurst Rd	Emu Heights	160	Medium
Palomino Road	Russell St to Wedmore Rd	Emu Heights	970	Medium
Gough Street	Existing Footpath to Troy St (south side)	Emu Plains	75	Medium
Troy Street	Gough St to Forbes St (east side)	Emu Plains	215	Medium
Wallan Avenue	Knox St to Talara Ave	Glenmore Pk	290	Medium
Regentville Road	Batt St to Cobb Ave	Jamisontown	230	Medium
Harwood Circuit	Jeanette St to Kenneth Slessor Dr	Regentville	300	Medium
Braemar Drive	Existing Footpath to Maxwell St	South Penrith	660	Medium
Penrose Cres	Smith St to Penrose Cct	South Penrith	470	Medium
York Road	Batt St to Maxwell St	South Penrith	400	Medium
Banderra Road	Fragar Rd to Butler Cres	South Penrith	260	Medium
Butler Crescent	Banderra Rd to Smith St	South Penrith	160	Medium
Government House Dr	Water St to Water St	Emu Plains	536	Medium

In total there are 76 sites recommended for the program that meet the high and medium ranking as missing links. A further 142 locations with low rankings will be retained in a database for future consideration.

The following table provides a summary of the proposed future footpath program and includes cost estimates:

Table 3: Summary of Missing Footpath Link

Ward	Total Number of Projects	Length of the missing footpath link (lineal meters)	Estimated Cost
North	24	10,073	$967,008
East	29	8,498	$815,808
South	23	8,076	$775,296
Total	76	26,647	$2,558,112

In addition to the above footpath program there are other programs including the Section 94 works, Neighbourhood Renewal Programs, State Environmental Planning Policy Infrastructure (SEPPI) and the Local and District Open Space Development contribution that generate footpath construction works within the City. These other paths will be constructed for different reasons and are in addition to the yearly footpath program,

Council regularly receives requests for additional footpaths. These requests are initially assessed against the criteria and evaluated for inclusion in future programs. It is proposed to keep a record of these future requests on a database, but concentrate on the construction only of the adopted list of projects for the next five years or so. The progress of the program will be reported to Council on a biennial basis and at this point if high ranking projects have been identified they will be recommended to Council for inclusion in the program.

It must also be remembered that all footpaths are incorporated in Council’s asset management programs. As this asset base grows, additional resources will need to be committed to future repairs and maintenance. Regular inspection and maintenance of the footpath network is an important element of our risk management processes.

Acting Financial Services Manager’s Comment

The development of the 2007-08 Management Plan included a funding scenario that forward funded the completion of the current Path Paving Program by borrowing $2m in both 2007-08 and 2008-09. This strategy was able to take advantage of economies of scale and that program has now been completed. The original proposal included some potential savings resulting from this approach and foreshadowed that additional savings may also result from the tender process. It is estimated by City Works that the total savings at the end of this year will be in the order of $550,000. At the time of the strategy being determined it was acknowledged that this approach, while expediting the delivery of the program, did have a net present value cost to Council of $293,000. This strategy also committed Council to annual loan repayments of $590,000, for 10 years, and only allowed for funding of a $150,000pa program from 2009-10 to 2012-13. Council’s Long Term Model has this funding of $150,000pa continuing from 2013-14.

The combination of the savings from the current program, combined with the annual allocation, allows for funding of $1m available over four years ($550,000 in 2009-10) to fund the current proposal. This level of funding would complete all high priority paths (approximately $550,000) but would leave a funding shortfall of $1.6m to complete the full program. Councillors will also be aware that the impact of the current economic climate and the increased impost in relation to the Local Government Defined Benefits Superannuation Scheme has placed significant pressure on not only the 2009-10 budget but also future budgets. No capacity currently exists to fund the $1.6m shortfall unless other services and programs are reduced accordingly. This could be assessed during the service review scheduled for 2009-10 with this program competing with other priorities for any savings identified. In addition the annual funding shortfall for the program ($100,000 in 2009-10 and $500,000 in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13) could be placed on Council’s high priority unfunded projects list for consideration in future Operational Plan processes.

In addition to these considerations another report before Council tonight, Council’s Response to the Federal Government’s Jobs Fund Program, includes in its project list for endorsement of a Shared Path Project. If this project was to be successful and the grants funds provided Council would be required to contribute matching funds to the project. The only identified funding option for this project would entail the redirection of a significant proportion of next year’s allocation for Path Paving to deliver this project.

Conclusion

Council has successfully completed the Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan- Footpath Improvement Program that was adopted in 2001. This was deliberately accelerated in 2007/2008 and completed two years earlier than originally planned. The City now has the benefit of an additional 141km of footpath and the improved pedestrian mobility as a result.

A future program of footpath works can now be advanced, subject to budget capacity, which concentrates on filling in any missing links in the existing footpath network. These projects will help to achieve the adopted objectives of the program in particular by integrating pedestrian access with other transport services and better linking the community with local facilities such as schools and parks. Footpath projects are proposed to be delivered based on the priority rankings against consistent assessment criteria. A further 26km of footpaths are proposed for adoption under this next stage of the program.

RECOMMENDATION

1. That the information contained in the report on draft Future Footpath Delivery Program be received.

2. That the funding of the 2009-10 path paving program be considered in conjunction with Shared Path Project proposed as part of the grant application to the Federal Government’s Job Fund Program.

3. That a further report will be provided to Council to address funding strategies for the identified backlog.

ATTACHMENTS/APPENDICES

There are no attachments for this report.

*Policy Review Committee Meeting - Urgent Report*	*18 May 2009*
*Leadership and Organisation*

Leadership and Organisation

Council's Response to the Federal Government's Jobs Fund Program

Compiled by: Ray Richardson, Grants Support Officer

Authorised by: Vicki O’Kelly, Group Manager - Finance

Strategic Program Term Achievement: Council provides adequate resources to deliver its program and has introduced measures to increase its capacity.

Critical Action: Maximise funding opportunities to deliver Council’s program.

Purpose:

To advise Council of the proposals nominated to be the subject of applications for assistance to the Federal Government's Jobs Fund Program closing 22 May 2009. The report recommends that the information contained in the report be received and the schedule of projects nominated for applications to the Jobs Fund for Federal grant funding be endorsed.

Background

The Federal Government has announced a $650 million Jobs Fund to support and create jobs and increase skills. It has three streams:

§ Local Jobs - $300 million of funding is available over two years. Funding will be available for community infrastructure projects with a focus on the promotion of environment-friendly technology and heritage. $60 million of this stream has been specifically set aside for heritage-related projects and $40 million of this stream for the construction of bike paths. (Note: funding under these quarantined components of the Local Jobs stream will not extend past 30 June 2010.) Funding for bike paths must be met on a matching dollar for dollar basis. Funding is capped at $2 million per project.

§ Get Communities Working - $200 million of funding is available over two years. Seed capital will be available for self-sustaining projects which create jobs and provide activities and services to improve community amenity. Funding is also available to provide Temporary Financial assistance to non-profit organisations whose donor base is currently under pressure due to the economic downturn. Funding is capped at $2 million per project.

§ Infrastructure Employment Projects - $150 million over two years. Projects under this stream will provide for investment in infrastructure projects which generate jobs in regions affected by the economic downturn (additional Community Infrastructure Project funding). There is no cap on individual project amounts that can be requested. Infrastructure Employment Projects will be initiated by the Australian Government. It is anticipated that these projects will be jointly funded with State and Territory and/or Local Governments.

The Jobs Fund will commence on 1 July 2009 and projects will be funded until 30 June 2011.

Funding will be in the form of one-off grants to support the delivery of innovative social or infrastructure projects which create jobs and employment opportunities in communities affected by the economic downturn, while also delivering positive environmental, heritage and social outcomes. Projects will focus on directly generating jobs for people in communities with high unemployment, a rise in unemployment or vulnerability.

The development of proposals by proponents will be an iterative process where the Departments will work with proponents where necessary to refine promising proposals.

Council has considered a range of projects under Local Jobs, including Heritage and Bike Path projects and under Get Communities Working, analysing them against the criteria for eligibility and is preparing supporting documentation on current unemployment trends, employment vulnerability and other relevant social data to support applications.

The Federal Government has created Local Employment Coordinators in an initial seven identified regions across Australia.

These priority areas are:

§ Canterbury-Bankstown and south-west Sydney in New South Wales

§ Illawarra in New South Wales

§ South-east Melbourne in Victoria

§ Ipswich-Logan in Queensland

§ Northern and western Adelaide in South Australia

§ South-west Perth in Western Australia

§ Northern Tasmania

These regions may be considered as the Federal Government’s areas of highest priority for funding, although additional regions may be added at a later date. Areas not included above are eligible to apply for funding under the Local Jobs and Get Communities Working streams.

Project eligibility

In order to be considered for funding under any of the three streams (Local Jobs, Get Communities Working and Infrastructure Employment Projects), projects must satisfy at least ONE of the FOUR target areas and meet ALL THREE gateway criteria.

Target Areas

Projects which will be considered for funding under the Jobs Fund must address at least one of the following four target areas:

a. Create jobs or retain people in jobs at risk due to the downturn

b. Build skills for the future

c. Build community infrastructure or improve community amenity which generates local jobs, or

d. Provide seed funding for social enterprises to start up, maintain or expand services, generating jobs and improving community services.

All projects must also demonstrate that the activities to be funded are clearly additional to those that would have occurred in the absence of funding under the Jobs Fund.

§ Within each of these four target areas preference will be given to projects which demonstrate one or more of the following:

§ are ready-to-start immediately

§ support, create or retain jobs

§ assist a greater number of disadvantaged job seekers including Indigenous job seekers and have a greater likelihood of achieving outcomes for those job seekers

§ are in locations that have entrenched disadvantage or are vulnerable to the economic downturn

§ involve place-based initiatives which strengthen the community

§ provide job seekers with additional skills through training which maintains a connection with the labour market or develops connections to the community

§ assist apprentices/trainees who have been made redundant to complete their apprenticeships

§ have the potential to be sustainable and provide long-term employment opportunities for job seekers in areas of high unemployment

§ provide jobs for local businesses and communities and provide opportunities for youth, while also delivering positive environmental, heritage and social outcomes

§ involve well negotiated partnerships with employment services providers, local community organisations and relevant stakeholders needed to assist job seekers

§ demonstrate stakeholder consultation and work with the local community in designing and running projects

§ include a contribution of funds, or in kind contributions to supplement the amount sought in the project proposal

§ revitalise or create new infrastructure assets for community needs or have the potential to contribute to economically viable regions.

In the case of applications for Temporary Financial Assistance proponents will need to demonstrate that the services requiring funding would not be maintained in the absence of the funding under the Jobs Fund.

To be considered for funding, those projects funded under the $60 million heritage component of the Local Jobs stream must also deliver positive heritage outcomes.

Gateway criteria

The Jobs Fund will have a common set of gateway criteria which must be met for funding under any of the three streams:

1. Projects in areas experiencing high unemployment, a significant rise in unemployment or vulnerability

2. Projects must be viable and ready to start

3. Funding will not extend past 2010-11. Projects will be expected to be self sufficient and/or not require Australian Government funding beyond 30 June 2011.

Training Management Guidelines

The NSW Government recently revised its Training Management Guidelines.

The policy and guidelines apply to all government construction projects, including the projects delivered under the Commonwealth Government’s Economic Stimulus Plan (in NSW). The policy aims to promote employment, training and skills development opportunities in the construction industry at the enterprise and project level.

Contractors seeking to work on government construction projects will be required to develop and implement training management plans that are appropriate to the nature, size and capacity of their enterprise and projects.

Council proposes that all contractors engaged to complete works resourced through the Jobs Fund be required to adhere to the NSW Training Management Guidelines – February 2009 as a way of maximising the impact of the application of the Jobs Fund to projects in this LGA.

Current position

It is proposed that the following projects be the subject of applications for funding by the 22 May deadline.

These projects have been selected because:

§ They offer an opportunity to partner with job providers and appropriate contractors in Penrith to employ unemployed people with appropriate skills and/or enhance the skills of people with low skills, to enhance their employment potential.

§ They offer a range of trades and unskilled labour opportunities.

§ They are longer-term projects, extending the range of job retention and creation.

§ They are an extension of projects which have already been the subject of considerable investment from Council and partners, including various State Departments and the community sector.

§ The potential partners have the resources to provide ongoing support and assistance with future employment opportunities to the people working on the projects.

Negotiations are underway with potential partners. As a result, the detail of applications may be modified prior to submission.

Should partners for any project not be secured, no application will be submitted for that project.

Schedule of proposed applications to the Jobs Fund

All projects nominated fulfil the requirements of the three Gateway Criteria and Target Areas A and B as well as a number of the priorities.

Local Jobs

Project: Upgrades and improvements to building assets

Responsible Manager: City Works Manager

Council owns and operates a property portfolio of over 250 buildings with a replacement value of over $200 million. These community assets play a key role in the life of our City and local neighbourhoods. A Building Asset Renewal Program is carried out annually and the latest data demonstrates that at least $1.5 million is required annually for asset renewal works over the next 10 years which includes addressing a backlog of works valued at $6 million.

Many City assets are ageing and there is a lot of work being done to assess and program asset renewal needs into the future. This increased funding is necessary to meet the backlog of asset renewal and ensure that community facilities are provided at appropriate standards, fit for their contemporary purpose.

Negotiations are in place to establish partnerships with employment providers in Penrith.

Project’s estimated cost:............................ $2,500,000

Jobs Fund Grant request:........................... $2,000,000

Penrith City Council:..................................... $500,000

Project: Bushland Management Projects

Responsible Manager: Parks Manager

Implementation of Plans of Management for River Road, Weir Reserve, Tench Reserve and Werrington Lakes through treatment of weeds and revegetation. Council will seek to develop partnerships with appropriate organisations to develop training programs that will involve a broad spectrum of local people in skills development programs and employment opportunities through contract work.

Negotiations are in place to establish partnerships with employment providers located in Penrith.

Project’s estimated cost:............................ $2,008,640

Jobs Fund Grant request:........................... $1,200,000

Council contribution:..................................... $574,640

Other grants:................................................. $234,000

The four identified projects build upon and complement considerable investment in improvements already made and currently in progress at these sites, funded by Council and by the NSW State Government.

Work at River Road Reserve complements several past projects focussing on weed management and revegetation. It will complement the construction of Stages 6 and 7 of the Great River Walk and associated improvements to River Road.

Work at Weir Reserve builds upon works undertaken for the Great River Walk and other bushland management and improvements for the benefit of the community.

Work at Tench Reserve will complement many years of weed management, revegetation and improvements to improve the amenity of the site for the community.

Work at Werrington Creek complements a $2 million Urban Sustainability Program project funded for implementation of the Ropes and South Creek Regional Open Space Strategic Management Plan.

Project: Great River Walk (GRW)

Responsible Manager: Major Projects Manager

Great River Walk ~ Cassola Place to Regatta Lake: ................. $638,000

Great River Walk ~ River Road sections 6 & 7:..................... $1,254,000

Description:

Construction of a 1,500m section of the GRW along River Road including the section through Regatta Park. This represents Stages 4 and 6 of the GRW (including the design element) plus an additional 1,000m of path on River Road. The recent application to Metropolitan Greenspace Program for Stage 7 also for construction on the River Road section, relates to a section of the GRW that is not included in this project. The total value of the project is $2,214,500.

Negotiations are in place to establish partnerships with employment providers located in Penrith.

Project’s estimated cost:........................................................ $2,214,500

Total Jobs Fund Grant Request:............................................. $1,722,000

Total Council contribution (Section 94): .................................... $344,250

Metropolitan Greenspace Program:........................................... $148,250

Cassola to PLDC

Project’s estimated cost:........................................................... $638,000

Total Jobs Fund Grant Request:................................................ $638,000

Total Council contribution: .................................................................... 0

The GRW has been constructed south of Cassola Place and this proposal will extend the walk to Penrith Lakes Development.

River Road

Project’s estimated cost:........................................................ $1,576,500

Total Jobs Fund Grant Request:............................................. $1,084,000

Total Council contribution (Section 94): .................................... $344,250

Metropolitan Greenspace Program:........................................... $148,250

Approval has been granted for a Metropolitan Greenspace Program grant for Stage 6 (Regatta Park). This work is not scheduled to commence until September 2009.

Local Jobs - Bike Path Projects

A requirement of this funding stream is that Federal grant funds be expended by 30 June 2010 and that applicants contribute 50% of project costs.

Project: Shared Bike and Pedestrian Paths

Responsible Manager: City Works Manager

Construction of three interconnected bike paths to facilitate alternative transport options:

§ Eileen Cammack Soccer Fields South Penrith to Penrith CBD

§ Mark Leece Reserve St Clair to Queen Street St Marys

§ Cranebrook to Penrith CBD

Negotiations are in place to establish partnerships with employment providers located in Penrith.

The project’s estimated cost:.................................................. $1,600,000

Jobs Fund Grant request:.......................................................... $800,000

Balance.................................................................................... $800,000

In another report to tonight’s meeting, Future Footpath Delivery Program, additional savings from the current year’s footpath program of $400,000 have been identified. Should this bid for the shared bike and pedestrian paths project be successful these savings will need to be diverted to this project. The balance of the matching Council funding of $400,000 can be provided from the 2009-10 Road Resealing/Resheeting budget.

Should this application not be approved, the funds will remain in the originally allocated program budgets.

Local Jobs – Heritage Projects

A requirement of this funding stream is that Federal grant funds be expended by 30 June 2010.

Project: Restoration of Old Emu Plains Post Office

Responsible Manager: Property Development Manager.

This project involves restoration works to the Old Emu Plains Post Office on the Great Western Highway at Emu Plains to a usable state. The building is currently in a state of disrepair. Costs will include design, landscaping, paving, car park, drainage and internal and external refurbishment.

Negotiations are in place to establish partnerships with employment providers located in Penrith.

Project’s estimated cost:........................................................... $679,350

Jobs Fund Grant request:.......................................................... $595,000

Balance (from Property Reserve)................................................ $84,350

Table 1: Summary of proposed costs, grant requests and contributions:

*Project*	*Estimated* *Cost $*	*Jobs Fund* $	*Council* $	*Other* $	*Mgr*
*Local Jobs (Maximum grant $2 million)*
Building Assets Upgrades & Improvements	2,500,000	2,000,000	500,000	0	CWM
Bushland Management Projects	2,008,640	1,200,000	574,640	234,000	PCM
Great River Walk	2,214,500	1,722,000	344,250	148,250	MPM
Sub-total Local Jobs:	6,723,140	4,922,000	1,418,890	382,250

*Bike Paths (matching funding required)*
Shared Paths:	1,600,000	800,000	800,000	0	CWM

*Heritage Projects (Maximum grant $2 million)*
Old Emu Plains Post Office:	679,350	595,000	84,350	0	PDM

TOTAL JOBS FUND PROJECTS:	9,002,490	6,317,000	2,303,240	382,250

RECOMMENDATION

That:

1. The information contained in the report on Council's Response to the Federal Government's Jobs Fund Program be received

2. The schedule of projects nominated for applications to the Jobs Fund for Federal grant funding be endorsed.

3. That funding of $800,000, $400,000 from the Footpath Paving Program and $400,000 from the Road Resealing /Resheeting 2009-10 budgets be allocated to the Shared Bikes and Pedestrian Pathways project should the project application be successful.

ATTACHMENTS/APPENDICES

There are no attachments for this report.

# Meetings at which the Management Plan 1/4ly reviews are presented	^ Election of Mayor/Deputy Mayor
#+ General Manager’s presentation – half year and end of year review	@ Strategic Program progress reports [only business]
< Briefing to consider Draft Management Plan for 2009/2010	ü Meeting at which the 2008/2009 Annual Statements are presented
v Meeting at which the Draft Management Plan is adopted for exhibition	Y Management Plan Councillor Briefings/Public Forum (June)
* Meeting at which the Management Plan for 2009/2010 is adopted.