ordinary meeting agenda - ssroc · 5/16/2019 · recommendation: that delegates: 1. receive and...

SSROC

Ordinary Meeting Agenda

Date Thursday, 16 May 2019 Time 6:00 pm for 6:30 pm Venue Campsie Customer Service Centre, Canterbury Bankstown Council Address Level 2

137 Beamish Street CAMPSIE Parking: is available in the car park at the rear of the Customer Service Centre, access via Shakespeare Street. Access to the building is through the front door

Section 1 Presentation

1.1 Presentation by Deborah Brill, Director, Housing and Infrastructure Policy, NSW Department of Planning and Environment - Housing Affordability (see also report at Item 5.1)

Section 2 Apologies

Section 3 Declaration of Conflict of Interest

Section 4 Confirmation of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting

Section 5 Matters Arising from Minutes 5.1 Affordable Housing

9

Section 6 Advocacy and Issues Management

6.1 Recent Submissions 16

6.2 Submissions under Consideration 17

Section 7 Administrative Matters

7.1 SSROC News 18

Section 8 Joint Activities Within SSROC

8.1 Projects Update 29

8.2 Procurement Activity 34

Section 9 Externally Funded Projects

9.1 Street Lighting Improvement Program Update 37

9.2 Regional Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 39

Section 10 General Business

Section 11 Next Meeting The next meeting date will be Thursday, 15 August 2019 at Campsie.

Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) held at Burwood Council Chambers on Thursday, 21 February 2019

Councillor John Faker (Mayor, Burwood Council), SSROC President, declared the SSROC Ordinary Meeting of Thursday, 21 February 2019 open at 6.40 pm.

1. PRESENTATION

A two minute video on the Moree solar farm was played to show Delegates some of what has been achieved through SSROC under the Program for Energy and Environmental Risk Solutions (PEERS) program. At least 20% of participating councils’ electricity requirements at the time of tendering are now being sourced through this solar farm.

IN ATTENDANCE

Bayside Council Councillor Bill Saravinovski (Mayor) Councillor Joe Awada (Deputy Mayor)

Burwood Council Councillor John Faker (Mayor) Councillor Heather Crichton

City of Canada Bay Councillor Angelo Tsirekas (Mayor) Councillor Marian Parnaby Councillor Michael Megna

Canterbury Bankstown Council Councillor Khal Asfour (Mayor) Councillor Clare Raffan Councillor Linda Eisler

Georges River Council Councillor Sam Elmir (Deputy Mayor) Councillor Con Hindi Councillor Nick Katris

Randwick City Council Councillor Kathy Neilson (Mayor) Councillor Alexandra Luxford

Sutherland Shire Council Councillor Jack Boyd Councillor Daniel Nicholls

Waverley Council Councillor John Wakefield (Mayor)

SSROC Ordinary Meeting, 16 May 2019 1


Woollahra Council Councillor Peter Cavanagh (Mayor) Councillor Nick Maxwell

ALSO IN ATTENDANCE

Burwood Council Mr Bruce Macdonnell (General Manager)

City of Canada Bay Mr Peter Gainsford (General Manager)

Canterbury Bankstown Council Mr Matthew Stewart (General Manager)

Georges River Council Ms Gail Connolly (General Manager)

Inner West Council Mr Rik Hart (General Manager)

SSROC Ms Namoi Dougall (General Manager) Ms Helen Sloan (Program Manager) Mr Mark Nutting (Strategic Planning Manager) Ms Natasha Anderson (Office Manager) Ms Colleen Stretton (Executive Assistant)

2. APOLOGIES

Bayside Council Councillor Ed McDougall

Burwood Council Councillor George Mannah Councillor Ernest Chan

City of Canada Bay Councillor Charles Jago (Deputy Mayor)

City of Sydney Councillor Jess Miller Councillor Christine Forster Councillor Robert Kok Councillor Craig Chung



Georges River Council Councillor Kevin Greene (Mayor)

Inner West Council Councillor Darcy Byrne (Mayor) Councillor Rochelle Porteous Councillor Lucille McKenna Councillor John Stamolis

Randwick City Councillor Anthony Andrews Councillor Carlos Da Rocha

Sutherland Shire Councillor Ray Plibersek Councillor Michael Forshaw

Waverley Councillor Dominic Wy Kanak (Deputy Mayor) Councillor George Copeland Councillor Marjorie O’Neill

Woollahra Council Councillor Susan Wynne

OTHER APOLOGIES

Bayside Council Ms Meredith Wallace (General Manager)

City of Sydney Ms Monica Barone (Chief Executive Officer)

Randwick Ms Therese Manns (General Manager)

Sutherland Ms Manjeet Grewal (Acting General Manager)

Waverley Mr Ross McLeod (General Manager)

Woollahra Mr Gary James (General Manager)

SSROC resolved to accept the apologies, as submitted.


Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) held at

Burwood Council Chambers on Thursday, 21 February 2019

3. DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST No conflicts of interest were noted.

4. CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING Resolved that Delegates:

1. Adopt the minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on Thursday, 16 August 2018 held at Georges River Council.

5. MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES 5.1 Biodegradable Alternatives to Plastic Dog Waste Bags Resolved by Delegates:

1. Receive and note the report.

6. ADVOCACY AND ISSUES MANAGEMENT 6.1 Recent Submissions Resolved that Delegates:

1. Receive and note the report and endorse the recent submissions. 6.2 Submissions under Consideration

Resolved that Delegates: 1. Receive and note the report.

6.3 Cities for Us Summit

Resolved that Delegates:





6.4 Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) and new Smart Communities Working Group



6.5 Hypothecation of the Waste Levy

Resolved by Delegates to:

1. Receive and note the report. 2. Endorse the SSROC position on the use of revenue generated from the landfill levy. 3. Through the chair, write to state government ministers and shadows recommending hypothecation

of the waste levy back to the waste and resource recovery sector. 4. Ask the Secretariat to write to all SSROC Mayors supporting both the ROC’s position and LG NSW’s

Save Our Recycling campaign on the waste levy and that the Mayors use their authority to explain the waste levy situation to constituents.

5. Ask all SSROC Mayors to write to the major parties in support of LG NSW’S Save our Recycling campaign.

6.6 Affordable Rental Housing SEPP: Boarding Houses and Secondary Dwellings

Resolved that Delegates: 1. Receive and note the report. 2. The Secretariat to provide Delegates with a more detailed report on how local government can work

with the state government to deliver better affordable housing.

6.7 SSROC Feasibility Study into a Council-Owned or Operated Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) or Transfer Station (TS)



7. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS 7.1 Secretariat’s Relocation to Campsie Resolved that Delegates:





7.2 Proposed 2019 Meeting Dates Resolved that Delegates:

1. Receive and note the report. 7.3 SSROC News Resolved that Delegates:


8. JOINT ACTIVITIES WITHIN SSROC 8.1 Shared Services Update Resolved that Delegates:

1. Receive and note the report. 8.2 Projects Update Ms Helen Sloan (SSROC Program Manager) advised Delegates that the 3-yearly Regional Waste Audit was currently being conducted. The waste audit should be completed by the end of June. Resolved that Delegates:

1. Receive and note the report. 8.3 Procurement Activity Resolved that Delegates:


9. EXTERNALLY FUNDED PROJECTS 9.1 Street Lighting Improvement Program Resolved that Delegates:





9.2 NSW Public Lighting Code Update Resolved that Delegates:

1. Receive and note the report. 9.3 Regional Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy Resolved by Delegates to:

1. Receive and note the report. 2. Request a presentation at the next meeting from Ms Helen Sloan (SSROC) setting out each stage of the

recycling process and looking at what is being done in this sector in other areas of Australia.

10. GENERAL BUSINESS

1. Councillor Angelo Tsirekas (Canada Bay) congratulated Councillors Faker, Asfour and Nicholls on their election as SSROC President, Senior Vice President and Junior Vice President respectively. He stated that SSROC is a very powerful body which should be used to advocate to ensure our voices are heard at all levels of government.

2. Councillor Tsirekas advised a letter had been received by a City of Canada Bay officer advising that

Councillor Tsirekas had been removed as a representative of the City of Canada Bay on the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel. Councillor John Faker advised he had received a similar letter in relation to the same Panel concerning his representation for Burwood Council.

Other Councils also advised they had experienced difficulties with IHAP and Regional Planning Panels.

Resolved by Delegates that:

1. SSROC President, Councillor Faker write requesting an urgent meeting with the Minister for Planning and the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel Chair to discuss this situation.

2. Other Councils that had experienced problems in relation to representation for their Councils on various Planning panels should forward examples/details to the Secretariat.




NEXT MEETING Councillor Faker advised that the next meeting will be held on Thursday, 16 May 2019 with the likely venue to be Canterbury Bankstown Council (Beamish Street, Campsie premises) but this will be confirmed. Councillor Faker thanked all in attendance. MEETING CLOSE There being no further business Councillor Faker declared the meeting closed at 7.50 pm.


SECTION 5. MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES ITEM 5.1 Affordable Housing RECOMMENDATION: That Delegates:


Purpose of the report:

Outline opportunities for local government to work with the state government to deliver affordable housing.

Background The Ordinary meeting of SSROC, on 21 February 2019, resolved that the Secretariat provide Delegates with a more detailed report on how local government can work with the state government to deliver better affordable rental housing. SSROC has been a strong advocate for increasing the supply affordable housing especially across Greater Sydney through the NSW planning system. The Greater Sydney Region Plan adopted Affordable Rental Housing Targets in March 2018. SSROC hosted the Cities for Us Summit on 25 July 2018, in collaboration with Shelter NSW and with support from the Planning Institute of Australia, City Futures UNSW, and the Committee for Sydney. One of the key recommendations was to strategically extend SEPP 70 to all Sydney councils to consistently and more fairly meet Sydney’s pressing problem of housing unaffordability. Participation in SEPP 70 was seen as one of the most effective ways of delivering affordable housing. On 13 September 2018, this recommendation along with others was discussed with Planning Minister Roberts by the SSROC General Manager, SSROC Strategic Planning Manager and the Chief Executive Officer of Shelter NSW. In November 2018, the NSW Government proposed to amend SEPP 70 to include all local government areas in the state. Following the SSROC Ordinary meeting on 21 February 2019, the NSW Government approved amendments to SEPP 70 on 28 February 2019 prior to entering the caretaker period. It signalled a major change in policy approach to support affordable housing delivery. The amendments to SEPP 70 enabled the expansion of the coverage of the SEPP to include all councils across NSW. These changes removed the administrative step of entering an LGA into SEPP 70, thereby expediting councils’ ability to investigate and develop an affordable housing contributions scheme. It does so by entering all LGAs into SEPP 70. It is optional for a council to develop an affordable housing contribution scheme that imposes consent conditions for affordable housing. An affordable housing contribution scheme enables development contributions to be collected by councils for affordable housing from developers. The Department of Planning and Environment published a Guideline for councils to help them prepare their own affordable housing contribution schemes. The Guideline aims to


ensure consistency in the way schemes are prepared with clear linkages to information contained in a council’s Local Housing Strategy.

Current Status: • SSROC Secretariat has prepared a report on the opportunities for local government to work with the state government to deliver affordable housing. It outlines the current private housing context, options available for councils to expand the supply of affordable housing and advocacy activities in which SSROC is engaged to facilitate Councils delivery of affordable housing. A copy of the report is attached.

• A presentation on the process a local council needs to undertake to develop their own affordable housing contribution scheme under SEPP 70 will be provided by the Department of Planning and Environment as part of this agenda item for the Delegates’ consideration and discussion.


5.1 .....Attachment to Affordable Housing report.docx 30/8/18 2:53 pm

Internal Only 1 of 5

Opportunities for local government to work with the state government to deliver affordable housing

Secretariat Paper

8 May 2019

Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils

1 The Affordable Housing Context Housing is foundational

Housing is such a foundational issue for community wellbeing. The Life in Sydney 2018, IPSOS annual study of resident community values and liveability, found Sydney residents rated affordable, decent housing their second most important issue for making Sydney liveable and a good place to live. The IPSOS survey showed all respondents (renters and home owners) rated Sydney’s performance in providing affordable decent, housing as poor - with a rating of 3.9 out of 10. Residents survey results in local areas in SSROC mirrored this result: Eastern Suburbs 4.1; City and Inner south 3.7; Inner west 3.7; and Sutherland 3.7 (ABS SA4 regions).

Housing affordability is clearly a long-term problem that requires a long-term approach to tackle it across the property cycle.

Rental is a key pressure point

42 per cent of neighbourhoods across Greater Sydney now have a majority of renters, making tenants a growing electoral force in NSW. The 2016 census revealed the share of renters in Sydney is now higher than those who own their home outright.

Housing rental affordability problems persist across the SSROC region together with other Sydney districts despite recent property price falls and record increases in housing supply. The issue is felt most acutely for lower income renting households who experience housing stress.

There is a match between the empirical data and community opinion that translates as real lived experience of many lower income renters.

The Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot released on 29 April 2019 showed the urgent need for more affordable housing right across NSW. The annual Anglicare Rental Affordability Snapshot has revealed an alarming picture of Australia’s private rental market, and the results for people on low incomes and income support are dire.

Some of the more concerning findings in the snapshot this year were that of the 22,911 properties available to rent on the day of the snapshot in Greater Sydney and the Illawarra (23-24 March 2019) in NSW:

• Despite thousands of new rentals coming onto the market, only 35 properties were affordable for a person on income support payments without placing them in housing stress

• Only 1,439 of the properties were affordable for households on a minimum wage.

On 23 April 2019, Western Sydney Community Forum and Wentworth Community Housing launched the Home in Western Sydney report to highlight the increasing levels of homelessness and housing stress experienced in the region. The report noted that Canterbury Bankstown local government area had the highest number of households experiencing housing stress in the region with over 21,000.




Data provided by the Commonwealth Department of Social Security for the area covered by SSROC councils at June 2017 (including Strathfield Council) showed:

• 39,000 recipients, nearly 60% of Commonwealth Rent Assistance (CRA) recipients, living in the SSROCregion are in housing stress in the private market. This compares to 50% (104,000 recipients) of CRArecipients living in Greater Sydney region who are in housing stress in the private market (as at June 2017).

• In SSROC, more than a quarter of these recipients are paying 50% of their income as rent• Most are female (58%)• Over 7,000 CRA recipients who are in housing stress are aged 65 or over• Over 13,000 CRA recipients are Aged Pensioners, Carers or on Disability Support pension.

Affordable rental housing for people on very low and low incomes is priced so that housing needs can be met alongside other basic living costs such as food, clothing transport medical care and education.

Sydney’s population growth, changing demographic needs and an eventual return to growth of house prices means that home purchasers and renters will face growing affordability challenges that will work displace lower income members of communities in SSROC well into the foreseeable future.

Affordable housing is also important for more productive communities

The Key Worker Housing Affordability study (February 2018) by the University of Sydney found Australia's largest city had lost close to 20 per cent of its key workers — including emergency workers, teachers and nurses — between 2006 and 2016.

The study found it took an average 13 years for a key worker to save for a home deposit in inner Sydney.

Another recent study by the UNSW City Futures Research Centre shows the state’s housing system is costing NSW billions in lost labour supply and lower productivity and at the same time workers are losing out on significant potential extra income.

The Strengthening Economic Cases for Housing report models the economic impacts of a housing investment program, an approach that is widely taken for other essential infrastructure such as roads and public transport.

This project was led by Professor Duncan Maclennan, and also involved SGS Economics & Planning and Cadence Economics, on behalf of a consortium of not-for-profits, government and private sector organisations.

The study modelled and compared the outcomes for an identical group of people living in Sydney neighbourhoods that were (1) far away or (2) close by to a range of jobs and services.

Even after factoring in the $7.8 billion it will cost to invest in 125,000 affordable rented homes over 10 years, the economy would still be around $12 billion better off.

This study shows that investing in affordable housing provides far more economic benefit than it costs and it is clear that Sydney cannot keep taking its business as usual approach to pushing development out to the fringes of the city where there are not the jobs or infrastructure to support it.

Jane Fitzgerald, Property Council NSW Executive Director, noted that the “research provides clear new evidence that if you put housing in the right places and encourage good growth, then there will be better economic outcomes for residents, an increase in productivity and our economy grows – our policy makers would do well to sit up and take notice and refocus their approach to housing in NSW.”




2 Options available for councils to expand the supply of affordable housing Recent policy changes have created a number of opportunities for Sydney councils to expand the supply of affordable housing.

• The NSW Government’s approval of the Greater Sydney Region Plan (GSRP) in March 2108 creates a long-term strategy and enabling framework for councils to help expand the supply of affordable rental housing through mechanisms in the planning system. The Premier’s foreword highlights that ‘A Metropolis of Three Cities provides communities, councils, governments and industry with certainty and guides the much-needed investments in transport, infrastructure, services and affordable housing required as Greater Sydney grows.’

• Recent changes to the machinery of government, following the 2019 NSW Election, work to strongly link the work of the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC) to the new Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. This should enable a more integrated approach to administration and improved governance. The chief executive of the GSC, Sarah Hill, will take on a position as deputy secretary of Planning, Industry and Environment (PIE).

Embedd council’s strategic directions for housing their communities

• In March 2018, amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) introduced new requirements for councils to prepare and make Local Strategic Planning Statements (LSPS). In Greater Sydney, the LSPSs must be in place for councils by 1 December 2019.

• The GSRP and the Greater Sydney District Plans require all councils in Greater Sydney to prepare Local Housing Strategies. Both LSPS and Local Housing Strategies give councils the opportunity to embed and prioritise affordable housing provision within their other long-term priorities, strategies and targets for greater housing supply and processes for building and sustaining inclusive communities. A more diverse market led housing supply can help to address demand particularly for households on moderate incomes.

• There will be a significant challenge and opportunity for local councils to translate the evidence in their Local Housing Strategies showing significant local unmet demand for affordable housing into concerted actions that result in greater affordable housing supply.

• A meaningful response to the scale of the local housing problem is likely to require a more systematic adoption of planning mechanisms backed by local affordable housing policies together with greater use of partnerships with existing providers of affordable housing and voluntary agreements with developers operating in the LGA.

Use planning mechanisms to generate Affordable Housing

• In March 2018, the Greater Sydney Region Plan adopted Affordable Rental Housing Targets as a key mechanism to deliver an additional supply of affordable housing for very low and low income households in defined precincts in Greater Sydney prior to rezoning. Targets generally in the range of 5-10 percent of new residential floor space are considered viable. The Plan notes the intention to streamline implementation with respect to the workings of State Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable Rental Housing) and State Environmental Planning Policy No. 70 - Affordable Housing Revised Schemes.

• In February 2019, amendments to SEPP 70 enabled the expansion of the coverage of the SEPP to include all councils across NSW. These changes removed the administrative step of entering a LGA into SEPP 70, thereby expediting councils’ ability to investigate and develop an affordable housing contributions scheme. It does so by entering all LGAs into SEPP 70. It is optional for a council to develop an affordable housing contribution scheme that imposes consent conditions for affordable housing.




A proposed affordable housing scheme is assessed by the Department through the planning proposal process. If the proposal is consistent with all the relevant requirements, a Gateway is issued, and the planning proposal is publicly exhibited. Council’s local environmental plan is then amended, following a community consultation process. The affordable housing contribution scheme enables development contributions for affordable housing to be collected by councils from developers for developments in designated areas. Generally affordable housing contribution schemes apply to developments that are facilitated by upzoning. The affordable rental housing is to be provided in perpetuity and managed by registered community housing providers.

• Other options, such as the provisions of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable RentalHousing) 2009 (ARHSEPP) can also be used for generating affordable rental housing. Under s7.32 of theEnvironmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPA Act) a consent authority can in certain conditionsimpose a condition of development consent requiring the dedication of land or payment of monetarycontributions, or both, for the purpose of providing affordable housing. In addition, under s7.4 of the EPA Act,a council can enter a VPA for the provision of affordable housing.

On 28 February 2019, the Minister for Planning made a Ministerial Direction to local councils which impactsthe negotiation of Vountary Planning Agreements (‘VPA’) which include the provision of affordable housing.It applies to all councils where VPAs negotiations commenced after 28 February 2019. Before a council entersa VPA in connection with a DA or proposed DA a council must now prepare and publish a policy setting outthe circumstances where the council may seek to negotiate a VPA for affordable housing and the matters thatmust be considered.

Partnering with Community Housing Providers and working with other Stakeholders

• Based on Sydney based housing research, Local Housing Strategies are likely to reveal a large gap between the demand for affordable housing and the available supply.The planning mechanisms available to councils are unlikely to meet this gap by themselves. To help close this gap a range of mechanisms are likely to be required to enable the layering of funds from different sources with developer contributions. These other sources would often be in addition to enhanced planning mechanisms like inclusionary zoning and value capture.

• These sources could potentially include direct government investment and subsidies (federal and state), land from NGOs or governments, and CHP borrowing through mechanisms like the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation1 (NHFIC). The NHFIC is an independent corporate Commonwealth entity dedicated to improving housing outcomes. The NHFIC offers loans, investments and grants to encourage investment in housing, with a particular focus on affordable housing with lending directed to registered community housing providers. In March 2019 NHFIC announced the successful launch of its first bond issue of $315 million, resulting in up to 300 new affordable rental dwellings.

• By 2020 the community housing industry body, CHIA NSW, estimates its members will have invested $1 billion in new properties for tenants who need them. However, to use this potential multiplier effect on funds for affordable housing, Councils may need to consider the transfer of title to take advantage of community housing providers’ capacity to raise additional finance to generate greater affordable housing supply.

1 NHFIC is an independent corporate Commonwealth entity dedicated to improving housing outcomes. The NHFIC offers loans, investments and grants to encourage investment in housing, with a particular focus on affordable housing.




3 Advocacy activities SSROC is engaged to help facilitate Councils delivery of affordable housing

The SSROC Secretariat has a strong focus on supporting its member councils to advocate to the State Government for more effective measures that facilitate the delivery of affordable housing.

Key current activities of the Secretariat include:

• Meeting with the new Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Hon Robert Stokes MP, about the previousCities for Us Summit recommendations on 16 May 2019. Specifically, this discussion includes the operationsof SEPP 70 amendments to expand the SEPP to all NSW Councils and the proposed mechanisms councilswill need to apply when developing affordable housing contributions schemes for approval.

• Developing and co-hosting a workshop with Community Housing Industry Associations NSW and ShelterNSW for council staff and other stakeholders to discuss emerging opportunities to more effectively developlocal affordable housing plans, strategies, partnerships within the planning system. This workshop is plannedfor June/July 2019. The workshop aims to address the recent changes to SEPP 70, options for deliveringaffordable housing through VPAs and the opportunities for partnerships with community housing providers togenerate a diverse range of affordable housing supply at different price points.

• Developing the affordable housing evidence base specific to SSROC through sponsoring original researchundertaken by City Futures UNSW. The current research agenda builds on the research commissionedby SSROC and completed by City Futures into the implementation of the 2009 Affordable Rental HousingState Environmental Planning Policy (ARHSEPP) in 2018. The ARHSEPP was introduced with the centralaim of increasing the supply and diversity of affordable rental and social housing in the state. The studyexamined the effectiveness of the Affordable Rental Housing SEPP with regard to:

• the scale and regional pattern of affordable housing facilitated by the SEPP (secondarydwellings, infill affordable housing and new generation boarding houses);

• the extent that secondary dwellings filter into the rental market; and• the extent they contribute to affordable housing objectives.

• Overall the research found that, despite the stated objectives of the ARHSEPP, it has delivered very littlegenuinely affordable rental housing for very-low to low income households in SSROC. The reportrecommended that over the longer term, the AHSEPP needs to be integrated within a broader affordablehousing strategy, and more explicitly linked to supporting the delivery of local affordable housing targetsrequired as part of the Greater Sydney Region Plan.

• City Futures was subsequently contracted to undertake a Post Occupancy Survey of Boarding Houses inCentral and Southern Sydney to better understand who is living in the new boarding houses and secondarydwellings and their likely impact on council services. The surveying of boarding house residents is nowcomplete. A project report on the study will be delivered by the beginning of June 2019. City Futures is alsoundertaking post occupancy survey of secondary dwelling residents on behalf of councils reporting in the thirdquarter of 2019.

• This phase 2 work will help to provide robust evidence to strengthen SSROC’s advocacy to the GreaterSydney Commission and the new NSW agency of Planning, Industry and Environment.


SECTION 6. ADVOCACY AND ISSUES MANAGEMENT ITEM 6.1 Recent Submissions RECOMMENDATION: That Delegates:

1. Receive and note the report and endorse the recent submissions.


To inform Delegates of recent submissions by SSROC.

Background: • 22 February 2019 – submission to Australian Government Civil Aviation Safety Authority on review of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) Operations.

• 28 February 2019 – on line submission to Department of Environment on NABERS five-year 2019-2023 Strategic Plan Survey

• 28 February 2019 – submission to Productivity and Safety Team, National Transport Commission on barriers to the safe use of innovative vehicles and mobility devices.

Current Status: These submissions have already been made. To download these submissions, go to: http://www.ssroc.nsw.gov.au/submissions


SECTION 6. ADVOCACY AND ISSUES MANAGEMENT

ITEM 6.2 Submissions under Consideration

RECOMMENDATION:

That Delegates: 1. Receive and note the report.2. Offer any comments in relation to the consultation.


To identify submissions currently being developed, and provide an opportunity for Delegates to offer comments.

Background: SSROC Secretariat develops submissions in relation to priority issues as resources permit, usually to a deadline imposed externally. Whenever the deadline allows, Delegates’ views on the submissions are sought.

Current Status: The following submissions are currently being developed and expected to be submitted prior to the submission deadlines, where applicable:

• A risk-based approach to regulating heavy vehicles to the National TransportCommission. Closes 31 May 2019. See https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/hdp.au.prod.app.ntc-hvlawreview.files/5715/5382/1099/Risk-based_approach_to_regulating_heavy_vehicles_Issues_Paper1.pdf

• Inaugural Sydney Metro Corporate Plan. Closes 31 May 2019. Seehttps://www.sydneymetro.info/sites/default/files/document-library/Sydney_Metro_Corporate_Plan.pdf


SECTION 7. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS ITEM 7.1 SSROC News RECOMMENDATION: That Delegates:



To advise Delegates of the latest update that is being provided to councils and other stakeholders.

Background: SSROC issues a periodic update of its activities to councils and other stakeholders for information. It is included here so that Delegates are aware of what is communicated about our work to a broader stakeholder group.

Current Status: The current update is attached.


SSROC NEWSM A Y 2 0 1 9

Dear SSROC community,

SSROC’s procurement initiatives

continue to pay dividiends for our

member councils. In particular I am

pleased that SSROC’s Program For

Energy and Environmental Risk

Solutions - PEERS has just been

chosen as a finalist in the catergory of

Innovative Leadership and

Management at the 2019 NSW Local

Government Excellence Awards. The

continued success of the PEERS

Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) (1)

has ignited the possibility of SSROC

running a second PPA for all councils

across NSW, so stay tuned to see what

is next.

Please read on to find out about the

current projects and great work the

SSROC team has been undertaking on

your behalf.

Warm regards,

SSROC President

Councillor John Faker

Mayor Burwood Council

WELCOME

SSROC Junior Vice President

Cr Daniel Nicholls

Sutherland Shire Council

SSROC Senior Vice President

Mayor Khal Asfour

Canterbury Bankstown

SSROC President

Mayor John Faker

Burwood Council


Welcome to SSROC's second edition of

the quarterly SSROC News for 2019.

SSROC’s joint procurement initiatives

continue to bring real financial savings to

all the member councils, and our other

shared services enable great work to be

done through collective advocacy, joint

projects and shared resources.

I am especially proud of SSROC’s

community power-saving initiative Our

Energy Future, which has now directly

achieved more than 2MW of electricity

generation capacity, and more than

36,000 t/CO2-e abated. SSROC is excited

to report for the first time on battery

sales. 283 KWh of storage capacity is now

installed in 25 homes.

We welcome feedback on our publications

- please contact Kate Hannan on

[email protected] or phone

02 8396 3811.

If there is anything regarding the work of

the Secretariat that you would like to

discuss, please call me on 02 8396 3800.

Warm regards,

Namoi Dougall

General Manager

A MESSAGE FROM SSROC GENERALMANAGER

Our Energy Future App. Source: Our Energy Future


The NSW Government approved

amendments to SEPP 70 prior to entering

the caretaker period. This signaled a major

change in policy approach to support

affordable housing delivery and followed a

period of concerted advocacy from

SSROC.

The amendments to SEPP 70 enabled the

expansion of the coverage of the SEPP to

include all councils across NSW. These

changes removed the administrative step

of entering a LGA into SEPP 70, thereby

expediting councils’ ability to investigate

and develop an affordable housing

contributions scheme. It does so by

entering all LGAs into SEPP 70. It is

optional for a council to develop an

affordable housing contribution scheme

that imposes consent conditions for

affordable housing.

An affordable housing contribution

scheme enables development

contributions to be collected by councils

for affordable housing from developers.

The Department of Planning and

Environment published a Guideline for

councils to help them prepare their own

affordable housing contribution schemes.

The Guideline aims to ensure consistency

in the way schemes are prepared with

clear linkages to information contained in

a council’s Local Housing Strategy.

PLANNING ANDADVOCACY

Following the changes to SEPP 70, SSROC

held a special workshop of the Planners

Group at the City of Sydney offices to

discuss issues as part the Councils’

preparation of their Local Strategic Planning

Statements. It covered a range of issues that

included: liveability; productivity;

sustainability; and infrastructure as well as

cross boundary issues and impacts.

SSROC will meet with the new Minister for

Planning and Public Spaces, Hon Robert

Stokes MP, about the previous Cities for Us

Summit recommendations. This discussion

will include the operations of SEPP 70

amendments to expand the SEPP to all NSW

Councils and the proposed mechanisms

councils will need to apply when developing

affordable housing contributions schemes

for approval.

Hou

sing

Aff

orda

bilit

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The regional joint programs and projects

that SSROC manages for member councils

have been continuing over the last few

months. Here is an update on the major

ones:

Waste and Recycling

The waste and resource recovery sector is

going through a period of upheaval and

change. The national (and global) waste

sector continues to respond to the global

impacts of China’s new policies, under

which China will no longer accept

contaminated waste. That has effectively

closed down the market for a large

percentage of recycling waste, including

Australia’s. With India, Malaysia and

Thailand following China’s lead,

alternatives are scarce.

The Commonwealth Government

responded quickly with the release of its

National Waste Policy, which outlines

strong principles: improve resource

recovery and reuse; build markets for

recycled products; better manage material

flows; and improve information. It

endorses the circular economy concept

and lays out 14 strategies. But it does not

yet include an implementation road map.

PROGRAMS ANDPROJECTS

The NSW Government has also released its

Circular Economy Policy, Too Good To Waste

which outlines the principles of a circular

economy and identifies 8 focus areas to

“push” and “pull” the policy. It does not yet

include an implementation plan. NSW is also

beginning the development of a 20-year

Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy, and

it is expected to have a significant influence

on councils’ plans.

General putrescible waste processing (the

contents of red-lid bins) is also in upheaval.

The Alternative Waste Treatment sector is in

turmoil following the revocation of organic

outputs exemption. The exemption

permitted facilities to process this waste,

with the organic fraction being composted

and applied to agricultural land or to

rehabilitate disused mine-sites.

Accumulating contamination in agricultural

land has concerned the EPA to the extent

that they have banned all outputs from all

land applications. This directly affects eight

SSROC member councils, and we are working

with the service providers and the EPA to

find a solution.

Linear Economy vs Circular Economy. Source: Vital Briefing


The ramifications of these factors, and the

implications of the combination of all of

them, are serious for councils, and we are

working on strategic responses to them.

But the current situation creates a

compelling imperative to change, and

intend to ensure that it will drive some

better and innovative solutions. There will

be interesting and exciting projects

emerging in the near future.

Regional Waste Education Project

In spite of all the changes and problems

besetting the waste industry at the

moment, waste services are above all an

issue of public health, and must continue

to operate. Enabling our residents to use

councils’ services effectively continues to

be very important – and is likely to be

more important than ever in the coming

years. So SSROC continues to provide

waste education services, supported by

NSW EPA Waste Less, Recycle More

initiative funded by the waste levy.

So far this year SSROC community waste

educators have delivered 105 workshops

to over 1,600 residents, covering issues

like reducing plastics, food waste and

recycling. Our evaluation, which is based

on participants’ feedback after the events,

and shows that the program is achieving

behaviour change – and not only on the

part of the attendees, but also their

families and friends.

Our Energy Future

Our Energy Future has now directly achieved

more than 2MW of electricity generation

capacity, and more than 36,000 t/CO2-e

abated. SSROC is excited to report for the

first time on battery sales: 283 KWh of

storage capacity is now installed in 25

homes.

This regional program designed to increase

the proportion of energy consumed that is

derived from renewable sources, has

achieved a major milestone this year. The

community energy service, delivered by

Positive Charge under the program, provides

advisory services to residents and vets

suppliers and products used for solar

installations and energy efficiency

measures.

Installing Residential Solar Panels. Source: Our Energy Future


Circular Civil Works

The waste team have successfully

attracted funds from NSW EPA to support

the engagement of a technical manager to

support the procurement team with the

upcoming civil works tender. This project

is one of SSROC’s initiatives to increase

the use of recycled content by local

councils.

Solutions for Bulky and Problem Waste in

Apartments

Case studies have been prepared to assist

member councils with ideas and examples

of how to source separate bulky and

problem wastes, like cardboard, soft

plastics, polystyrene and clothing, in

apartment blocks.

Forward Planning

Initial work has started on strategic

initiatives related to the processing of

residual (red bin waste) for councils. Work

to address the infrastructure gap

continues.

WASTE AVOIDANCE ANDRESOURCE RECOVERY

Along with LGNSW and Councils across

Sydney Metropolitan Area our advoacy

continues for a greater percentage of the

waste levy to be reinvested in the sector so

this essential service can continue to meet

the waste needs of a growing Sydney.

SSROC is also working with the NSW

Government on a project to improve the

specification and delivery of recycling

services.

Sharing our Successes with the sector

David Kuhn and Hazel Storey will be

presenting SSROC success stories at the

leading waste and resource recovery

conference at Coffs Harbour in May.

Attracting over 600 delegates, SSROC will be

presenting on the strategic journey to

increase reuse of household items and the

recent successful campaigns delivered

through the “Get Rid of it Right” platform

(www.getridofitright.com).

These campaigns are delivered, along with

our face to face education as part of the

Responsible Citizenship theme of the SSROC

waste strategy.

Image from Get Rid Of It Right Campaign. Source: Get Rid Of It RightSSROC Ordinary Meeting, 16 May 2019 24

Community Education Program

Our community facing waste education

program delivered through TAFEs, adult

education partners and community groups

goes from strength to strength. The

program, which is 100% funded by the

NSW Government Better Waste and

Recycling Fund helps residents to use the

bin systems and clean up services

correctly and to know what to do with

‘tricky items’. It also helps residents

reduce their food waste and to increase

the reuse of household items.

This financial year we have run 105

workshops reaching 1657 people. This

takes the reach since the start of the

program to 6,559 residents.

If you know of a community group in the

SSROC region who would like to host a

workshop please contact:

[email protected]

Community Education Workshop at St George TAFE. Source: SSROC




SSROC procurement team has engaged

and finalised various procurement projects

in the second quarter of 2019. Here are

some of the highlights:

Gross Pollutant Trap (GPT) Cleaning and

Ancillary Services for Stormwater

Management

10 participating councils accepted the

SSROC stormwater management contract.

The contract covers GPT cleaning and 14

other related ancillary services.

SSROC engaged an EPA-approved waste

recycling facility, which is licensed and

purpose-built for stormwater waste. The

facility is capable of recycling over 90% of

the waste being processed, which will not

only reduce the waste going to landfill but

will also provide cost savings to councils.

The value of this contract is estimated to

be in excess of $10M per annum.

Civil Works Forum for Supply Chain – a

response to China Sword

The successful cross-sector civil works

forum held on the 18 October 2018,

highlighted current methods, technologies

and products in civil works that use

recovered glass and plastics as

alternatives to virgin materials. Following

the forum, engineers and sustainability

officers from SSROC and WSROC councils

attended a workshop and agreed to:

PROCUREMENT

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engage a project officer preferably an

engineer within the next 6 weeks;

conduct a financial analysis, sustainability

and procurement risk of the proposed

recycled products mixes;

create a range of approved recipes for

building and surfacing materials for

various categories of roads, cycleways,

footpaths etc;

discuss with the EPA and councils

whether they are willing to contribute to

fund the project officer; and

consider including urban heat reductions

in the mixes.

The EPA committed to supporting SSROC

throughout the process to ensure the

success of the contract. The list of

sustainability grants has been distributed to

all councils that attended the forum. SSROC

were also successful in obtaining a $25k

contribution from the EPA to assist funding

the project.


The Program for Energy and

Environmental Risk Solutions (PEERS)

PEERS program is aimed to improve

energy efficiency, achieve the best value

pricing for electricity and gas, reduce the

risk of future price shocks, and increase

the proportion of energy consumed that is

derived from renewable sources.

The success of the PEERS Power Purchase

Agreement (PPA) (1) has highlighted the

possibility of running a second PPA for all

councils across NSW.

Questions?

SSROC will continue to keep your councils

updated on the status of the ongoing

projects tabled above. Should you have

any questions about any of the projects,

feel free to contact Cathy Dizon on

02 8396 3802 or

[email protected].

Should you have any questions or want to

find out more about our joint procurement

program, including current contracts and

tenders, please visit our WEBSITE or

contact us on 02 8396 3800 or

[email protected]

PEERS PPA Media Coverage Source: One Step Off The Grid

PEERS PPA Media Coverage Source: Energy Matters


Staff Profile: Mei Li Quah

Preferred name: Mei Li (pronounced like

may lee)

Q: What is your role with SSROC?

Waste and Resource Recovery Community

Educator – I talk rubbish with harder to

reach communities across the region. The

educational workshops I deliver focus on

waste reduction regarding recycling, food,

plastic and online buying, swapping,

selling.

Q: How long have you worked for SSROC?

I joined SSROC in September 2018 – so,

about 8 months now.

Q: What is your experience and skill set?

I have a varied background having worked

in Australia and the UK; with project

management, education and training,

events and business support experience

and skills across health, community and

the environment. I’ve worked with and

engaged a broad range of stakeholders in

public, private sectors, start-ups and not-

for-profits. Since 2014, I’ve been with

Responsible Runners doing volunteer

community beach clean ups and that got

me particularly interested in the crossover

of environmental, health and wellbeing.

GET TO KNOW YOURSSROC

Q: What do you enjoy about your work at

SSROC? I really enjoy the variety and

diversity of my work at SSROC. Every day is

different and I meet and work with great

people across the region and we share a lot

of knowledge between us.

Q: Tell us one ‘Fun Fact’ about you.

After experiencing ocean withdrawals, living

in London, I connected with the leading

stand up paddle-boarding company and we

initiated the Plastic Ocean Festival. Over

summer, 400 people helped to remove over

5,000 pieces of litter from London’s Thames,

canals and waterways as part of the festival.

I also met Prince William.

Q: Tell us a highlight story about your work:

One highlight in my role has been working

with Youth Off the Streets – I’ve delivered a

few workshops with young people who are

homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Engaging with them and seeing their

emotional connection with the workshop

content to then want to do more to reduce

waste and care about the environment has

been a real highlight for me.

All photographs used are the property of or licensed for use by Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) Inc.

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SECTION 8. JOINT ACTIVITIES WITHIN SSROC

ITEM 8.1 Project Update

RECOMMENDATION:

That Delegates: 1. Receive and note the report.


To inform Delegates of progress on major SSROC projects.

Background: SSROC plans, manages and delivers a range of projects in response to the needs of member councils. These may be initiated by the ROC Committees, General Managers, officers in working groups, or in response to opportunities that arise.

Current Status: Mixed Waste Organic Output (MWOO) Exemption Waste processing facilities that generate MWOO, including those operated by Veolia and SUEZ to provide services to SSROC member councils, continue to be restricted to landfilling the output. Since the revocation of the regulatory exemption under which they were operating, NSW EPA has commissioned a Human Health and Ecological Risks Assessment (HHERA) and a report by the Chief Scientist and Engineer. These reports have not yet been completed.

Consulting firm Jacobs also delivered a study on the feasibility of alternative markets for the MWOO, which was provided to stakeholders. SSROC’s letter, expressing concerns about the adequacy of this study, is attached.

Councils remain seriously concerned that they are effectively now paying for a service that cannot be delivered, and that they will not meet the EPA’s target for diversion from landfill. Eight (8) SSROC member councils are affected: Bayside, Burwood, Georges River, Inner West, Waverley and Woollahra (Veolia) and City of Sydney and Randwick (SUEZ). SSROC and councils continue to monitor this situation very closely.

SSROC Regional Kerbside Waste Audit The waste audit is now well under way, with sample-collection completed for nine councils/former council areas, and data entry in progress. A few queries have been received from residents, but no serious complaints or problems. Participating Councils: Bayside, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury Bankstown, Georges River, Inner West, Randwick, Sutherland, City of Sydney and Woollahra.

Clean Up Processing Contract The request for tender is now complete, and the draft contract is being legally reviewed. Participating Councils: Bayside, Burwood, Georges River, Inner West, Waverley and Woollahra. Strathfield Council is also participating.

Our Energy Future The advisory service provided to residents by Positive Charge under this program continues to deliver more solar energy installations in the region with more than 2MW of generating capacity now installed directly through the program. The service offering now includes battery storage, and 283kWh of capacity have been installed in around 25


homes. Participating Councils: Bayside, Canterbury-Bankstown, Canada Bay, Georges River, Inner West, Randwick, Waverley, Woollahra, Parramatta, Hornsby, North Sydney, Northern Beaches, Willoughby.


Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) Inc.

139-145 Beamish Street CAMPSIE NSW 2194

PO Box 176, CAMPSIE NSW 2194

T 02 8396 3800F 02 8396 3816E [email protected]

29 April 2019

Ms Kathy Giunta Director, Resource Recovery Policy Waste and Resource Recovery Branch NSW Environment Protection Authority

Via email: [email protected]

Dear Ms Giunta

Jacobs Report on Mixed Waste Organic Outputs Alternative Market Options

Thank you for providing a copy of the EPA’s Mixed Waste Organic Outputs (MWOO) Alternative Market Options Feasibility Study Summary Report by Jacobs, dated 25 March 2019. The Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils Inc (SSROC) is a collaboration of eleven councils in the southern Sydney area. Six of these councils (Bayside, Burwood, Georges River, Inner West, Waverley and Woollahra) have contracted with Veolia Environmental Services for the provision of mixed waste processing services. Two other councils are similarly contracted to SUEZ, although SSROC does not have a role in administering the SUEZ contracts. Under the Veolia contracts, a Performance Management Committee has been established comprising a representative of each council, SSROC, Veolia and SSROC’s technical adviser. The committee meets quarterly to monitor performance and to cooperate to improve the process, and more frequently if appropriate. I write to convey to you some of the committee members’ concerns with this research. 1. LimitationsThe study acknowledged a number of limitations: the short time frame available to conduct the study, dated reference literature, limited interviews with stakeholders, lack of access to the results of the trials conducted over the seven-year research program and the need to rely on the TAC report pending the findings of the Chief Scientist & Engineer and the Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment (HHERA) report. These limitations make it incomplete and insufficient for the task of balancing contamination issues with market demands. The stated purpose of the study is to provide “guidance on potential future uses of mixed waste organic output (MWOO) whilst protecting human health and the environment”. However, to achieve this, a full market analysis would be required to examine future and long term investment opportunities, with capital budgeting and investment planning clearly mapped to analyse the profitability of a projected investment or project. Such analysis would have been completed by the major waste companies based on the regulations at the time, and would be expected to be repeated in the light of revised regulation. Further work would be required to fulfill the stated purpose of this report. The NSW EPA could then develop suitable exemption to ensure future investment in the waste industry in NSW and therefore secure further improvements in waste diverted from landfill. 2. Daily landfill cover


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Daily landfill cover is one of only two options for alternative markets that were considered for further analysis. But daily landfill cover cannot be seen as landfill diversion, and would not be acceptable to councils seeking better outcomes than landfill provides. Furthermore, it is doubtful that any additional environmental benefits are achieved by this approach over direct disposal in the Bioreactor landfill without treatment. In any event, the daily landfill cover market available is a great deal smaller than the quantity of MWOO produced. The logic behind selecting this option is not conveyed in the report, and it does not appear to be viable. 3. Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) The report lacks explanation of why the majority of the sixteen alternative markets identified were not considered further. It states only that the “three most promising market options were selected for further assessment …”. In particular, the RDF option should not have been ruled out, and there is no justification for not subjecting it to further analysis. While there are limited markets available at this time, at least one specific project is being actively pursued and SSROC is aware of another industry player with development consent willing to invest in this technology. With the Energy from Waste policy to be revised by the NSW EPA, the report needs to be revised to consider this as a feasible option and not just an alternative. 4. Omission of relevant information The literature review focussed on Northern European experience to recommend mixed Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) as “best practice”, but this assertion is not appropriate in the Australian context and should be removed. The report notes that Southern European counties such as France, Spain, Portugal and Italy utilise MBT technology and permit land application of MWOO because of “lower soil organic content and desertification issues.” It seems very likely that Australian conditions more closely resemble those of Southern, rather than Northern, Europe. Implementation of FOGO technology would require changes to collection systems that have been trialled and proved to be unviable in the urban setting. Contamination rates are too high, and the market for the output limited. Independent studies by councils have identified that MBT is currently the optimal processing option for general waste, with FOGO being identified as the poorest performer for resource recovery rates, contamination, ease of use, and cost (NPV). 5. Industry-wide perspective The report takes a generalised perspective of the industry as a whole. However, the four operators affected have differing systems and markets for MWOO, and each operator needs to be considered individually. Given that there are only four operators, it seems unnecessary and potentially misleading to rely on generalisations. For example, a key reason SSROC councils selected Veolia as its preferred operator was that the processing facility is sited at Woodlawn with its unique access to a long-term market for MWOO for rehabilitation of the heavily degraded mine site. Another reason was that residues and any waste not processed would go to the Bioreactor landfill, with the additional benefits that it offers over a conventional landfill. Conclusion This report seems to have some significant limitations, such as reasoned analysis of options eliminated from consideration (though perhaps this concern would be alleviated by being permitted access to the full report, if this is a summary of a wider research report). Until the report is received from the Chief Scientist and Engineer and HHERA report on human health risks associated with the MWOO contaminants, and until threshold levels for those contaminants are set, it is not really possible to reliably assess possible alternative markets for MWOO. The operators’ will need to make their own decision as to the viability of alternative markets in the light of EPA’s response to the comprehensive research.


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Councils are key market stakeholders in this report, and the contribution of Local Government NSW is welcome. However, the contractual arrangements affected by the revocation vary across councils, and direct representation from them would have been a valuable input. The Performance Management Committee’s preferred option is for the EPA to work with the operators and councils to develop a viable exemption for the framework, based on the full research and analysis. RDF should be included in the policy response, being a viable way to further increase diversion from landfill. While looking forward to the Chief Scientist & Engineer and the HHERA report, the committee would strongly prefer that the research and analysis takes full account of the outcomes achieved and achievable specifically at Veolia’s MBT and Bioreactor at Woodlawn. MBT must be considered to be a superior alternative to landfill in order to improve overall environmental outcomes. Should you have any further enquiries in relation to this letter, please feel free to contact me by phone on 02 8396 3801 or email [email protected]. Yours sincerely

Helen Sloan Program Manager Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils cc: Veolia Environmental Services and the Performance Management Committee.


SECTION 8. JOINT ACTIVITIES WITHIN SSROC ITEM 8.2 Procurement Activity RECOMMENDATION: That Delegates:



To advise Delegates of progress with major SSROC procurement activity.

Background: SSROC maintains forty (40) regional contracts on behalf of member Councils and aims to continuously improve its offer through better value, business alignment and service improvement.

Current status: Civil Works Forum for Supply Chain – SSROC response to China Sword Following our successful cross-sector Forum held on 18 October 2018 highlighting current methods, technologies and products in civil works using recovered glass and plastics as alternatives to virgin materials, engineers and sustainability officers from SSROC and WSROC councils attended a workshop on 18 March 2019 to discuss the steps moving forward. At the workshop, the engineers expressed their interest in using glass however there is no stamped and approved recipe and beneficiary. One of the agreed actions from the workshop is to create a range of agreed and approved recipes for various categories of roads, cycleways and footpaths to be undertaken by a proposed project engineer, followed by an invitation of public tenders to supply the approved products and services. At the beginning of April, SSROC formed a partnership with NATSPEC to collaborate to build our recipes/specifications. NATSPEC is a national not-for-profit organisation that is owned by the design, build, construct and property industry through professional associations and government property groups. NATSPEC’s objective is to improve the construction quality and productivity of the built environment through leadership of information. AUS-SPEC (a NATSPEC product) are sets of specifications used and nominated by engineers. Our tender working group of engineers met with NATSPEC CEO, Mr. Richard Choy to discuss our project and our purpose of collaborating with them. As a result, NATSPEC will write and create our recipes/specifications in return for our working group expertise and contributions. Our working group happily agreed to collaborate with NATSPEC to achieve one of our major actions to be undertaken in the project. Once the recipes/specifications are written and approved they will be available as a standard. Also, a library of well documented tests and trials across the state, gathered by NATSPEC, will be available to SSROC member councils. The EPA approved $25K funding in the project to be spent for the engagement of the project engineer. More information about NATSPEC is available via the link below:


The https://www.standards.org.au/standards-catalogue/others/aus-spec The Program for Energy and Environmental Risk Solutions (PEERS) PEERS program is aimed to improve energy efficiency, achieve the best value pricing for electricity and gas, reduce the risk of future price shocks and increase the proportion of energy consumed that is derived from renewable sources. Our first round renewable electricity Power Purchase Agreement (PPA1) was extended to other councils for a bigger volume and spend aggregation and that invitation was enthusiastically embraced by 20 councils. The contracts for PPA1 have been successfully awarded. PEERS Renewable Energy PPA and Grid Energy SSROC is preparing for a second round of PEERS 2. Similar to PPA1, a mixture of member and non-member councils are being invited. We are in the process of seeking genuine commitment from councils to determine viability. Currently, SSROC’s analysis indicates that between 10-16 councils are required to make the project cost effective and attractive. It has been agreed that the type and source of the renewable energy will be open, and could be solar, wind, hydro and or a combination of sources. However, the source of energy is subject to what is the best value and most advantageous offer. SSROC will work with Sourced Energy as a consultant based on the success of PPA1. VendorPanel - SSROC Enterprise VendorPanel is a web based system that is used by various organisations to seek quotations and tenders from an approved panel of contractors established by SSROC, prescribed bodies and councils. This system will not only assist our councils to become more efficient, it will assist them to become more transparent in their procurement process as every transaction is recorded and auditable. For SSROC VendorPanel referred to as SSROC Enterprise, the strategic procurement group selected the initial top five contracts to go up first. These five contracts have a significant number of transactions from the councils. SSROC has worked on these contracts, loaded and verified them and will go live in May 2019. SSROC Regional Kerbside Waste Audit The initial scheduled audits are almost completed for this logistically complex project. Participating Councils are Bayside, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury Bankstown, Georges River, Inner West, Randwick, Sutherland, City of Sydney and Woollahra. Clean Up Processing Contract This innovative project aims to increase the material from kerbside clean-up. The ACCC has authorised for the procurement, and a request for tenders is at final draft and will soon be released to the market. Participating Councils: Bayside, Burwood, Georges River, Inner West, Waverley and Woollahra. Strathfield Council is also participating, since they were keen and the additional tonnage will add to the appeal for potential suppliers.


Stormwater Management contract - Gross Pollution Trap (GPT) cleaning and 14 ancillary services Ten (10) participating councils recommended and accepted the SSROC stormwater management contract consisting of GPT cleaning and 14 other related ancillary services. The environmental strategy of this contract is the engagement of companies that will recycle the collected waste to reduce the volume of waste that is going to landfill and in turn will save waste disposal costs to councils. Another benefit is the efficiency savings of this contract. The inclusion of 14 ancillary services that previously required numerous tenders and quotations to comply with individual councils internal procurement procedure, will significantly increase efficiency. Each category is priced either with a whole program or schedule of rates that is not a ceiling rate. This contract will have specific categories, with a panel of suppliers, each with specific rates to assist Council staff in managing and allocating works for a period of 3 years with optional extension of 2 years. The value of this contract is estimated to be in excess of $10M per annum.

Current Sourcing Activity - Q1 Tenders 2019 for renewals and new for Q1 Status

HVAC Heat, Ventilation and Aircon supply and maintenance

Tender Evaluation will be conducted in 04.2019

Gross pollutant Traps (GPT cleaning and maintenance and 14 ancillary services)

Completed awaiting 1 more council approval

Fire services Closed 04.2019 Resource and Carbon Accounting Extended 05.2019 Soil and Turf Released 03.2019 Wet hire – plant and equipment (with PA) For release 05.2019 Road Vehicle Brooms, Brushes and Parts For release 05.2019 Asphalt, Recycled Asphalt and Civil Works Panel

Engagement of Project Officer 30.05.21019

Hygiene Services For release 05.2019 Clean Up Material Processing ACCC approved.

For release 05.2019 Printing services Extended for further 1 year Comensura For release 05.2019


SECTION 9. EXTERNALLY FUNDED PROJECTS ITEM 9.1 Street Lighting Improvement Program Update RECOMMENDATION: That Delegates:



To inform Delegates of progress and to highlight current program priorities.

Current Status: The SSROC SLI Program, numbering 29 councils and 90% of the street lights in the Ausgrid region, has been involved in several on-going street lighting activities in recent months. The status of key activities is as follows: 'Lighting the Way' Project to Replace Up To 104,000 Street Lights with LEDs Overall, SSROC believes that councils have sufficient clarity on all the key queries that councils and SSROC have raised and therefore should feel broadly comfortable accepting Ausgrid’s LED upgrade proposal. SSROC’s understanding is that 19 councils encompassing almost 70% of the lighting on Ausgrid’s network have formally agreed to the upgrade program with several others in the late stages of decision making. A couple have indicated they may wish to defer deployment for budget reasons but no council has formally declined Ausgrid’s proposal. Ausgrid has commenced deployment in some areas aiming to complete 35,000 installations by 30 June 2019 and averaging 1,000 per week thereafter. The SSROC SLI Program team remains at councils’ disposal to answer any questions about the offer and provide briefings as needed. Main Road LEDs and Smart Controls Ausgrid previously indicated to councils in 2017 and again in 2018 that it would be staging a new LED tender. These procurement plans were greatly disrupted by the Ausgrid sale process but Ausgrid now proposes to tender. SSROC has recently consulted with councils and the street lighting teams at RMS and City of Sydney on a draft Ausgrid tender specification. SLI Program comments were submitted to Ausgrid on 20 April 2019 and have been distributed to councils. Ausgrid also indicated on 5 March that it plans to stage a smart controls EOI shortly to better understand product costing and capability. SSROC has provided Ausgrid with sample EOI documentation from another similar utility process to help speed up the EOI but also suggested the EOI step is unnecessary given the maturity of smart controls technology. AER 2019-2024 Pricing Review Councils in the SSROC SLI Program collectively spend over $60m a year on street lighting services from Ausgrid. The Program has therefore played an active role in each of the last three Australian Energy Regulator pricing reviews saving councils more than $20m each time as compared to initial Ausgrid proposals. The SSROC SLI Program has been an active participant in the 2019-2024 review


process making a number of submissions on councils’ behalf. A final decision of the AER is expected in the next few days. All documents related to this pricing review can be found on the AER website. Council Update Briefings With a major LED lighting replacement program now underway, a forthcoming Ausgrid LED tender, a forthcoming smart controls EOI, a five-yearly AER pricing review nearing completion and a new mandatory Public Lighting Code to be implemented from 1 July, there is a lot of change underway to public lighting. SSROC’s General Manager has therefore asked the program managers to conduct individual in-house briefings for all councils. Briefings have been organised with all 29 councils in the SSROC SLI Program and commenced on 29 April and continue into late May.


SECTION 9. EXTERNALLY FUNDED PROJECTS ITEM 9.2 Regional Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy RECOMMENDATION: That Delegates:



To advise Delegates of progress on the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) funded waste and resource recovery projects.

Background: SSROC receives funding from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) from the Waste Less, Recycle More program:

• Regional Coordination Support funds, ($317,432 for 2018/19); • Better Waste and Recycling funds ($359,108 for 2018/19); • Litter Grant ($40,000) Currently SSROC receives no other grant funding.

Current status: Regional Waste and Resource Recovery (WARR) Strategy 2017-21 The secretariat continues with implementation of the revised strategy. Two Regional Strategic Coordinators positions are responsible for coordinating and managing the projects delivered with Better Waste and Recycling Funds, monitoring and evaluation, and liaison with the NSW EPA. SSROC is currently recruiting to fill one of the two positions. (A summary of the strategy is available at www.ssroc.nsw.gov.au/ publications.) NSW EPA Better Waste and Recycling Fund Implementation of the Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy, including responses to the China Sword, continues. Recent highlights: • The SSROC Waste Management Group, chaired by the CEO of the City of Sydney,

is meeting on 14 May 2019 to review the major issues affecting the waste industry, councils’ priorities, and to consider options for how to approach next year and beyond.

• Circular economy opportunities from the domestic waste stream. SSROC is in the final stages of an agreement with UNSW to collaborate on identifying potential channels for diverting materials from waste back into the productive economy, and finding ways to commercialise those new processes.

• Recycling Contestability – NSW Treasury Commissioning and Contestability Unit (CCU) and EPA are developing a new contestability strategy for the waste and recycling sector. Inner West Council’s recycling procurement is the pilot project for a contestability framework to inform the strategy. The secretariat is participating in the project to advise and to capture learnings.

• Civil works tender targeting use of recycled materials - see Item 8.2 - Procurement Activity.

• The waste education program continues. This year to date 103 workshops have been completed, with 1,624 residents. This builds on the success of 2017/18 which reached 2,700 participants at 152 workshops with 140 different community groups.


• The litter grant funding will be used to research technology options for managing

litter.


ordinary meeting agenda - ssroc · 5/16/2019 · recommendation: that delegates: 1. receive and...

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