Agenda of Communications Panel Meeting

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

What is a “Conflict of Interests” - A conflict of interests can be of two types:

Pecuniary - an interest that a person has in a matter because of a reasonable likelihood or expectation of appreciable financial gain or loss to the person or another person with whom the person is associated.

Non-pecuniary – a private or personal interest that a Council official has that does not amount to a pecuniary interest as defined in the Code of Conduct for Councillors (eg. A friendship, membership of an association, society or trade union or involvement or interest in an activity and may include an interest of a financial nature).

Remoteness – a person does not have a pecuniary interest in a matter if the interest is so remote or insignificant that it could not reasonably be regarded as likely to influence any decision the person might make in relation to a matter or if the interest is of a kind specified in the Code of Conduct for Councillors.

Who has a Pecuniary Interest? - a person has a pecuniary interest in a matter if the pecuniary interest is the interest of the person, or another person with whom the person is associated (see below).

Relatives, Partners - a person is taken to have a pecuniary interest in a matter if:

§ The person’s spouse or de facto partner or a relative of the person has a pecuniary interest in the matter, or

§ The person, or a nominee, partners or employer of the person, is a member of a company or other body that has a pecuniary interest in the matter.

N.B. “Relative”, in relation to a person means any of the following:

(a) the parent, grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, lineal descends or adopted child of the person or of the person’s spouse;

(b) the spouse or de facto partners of the person or of a person referred to in paragraph (a)

No Interest in the Matter - however, a person is not taken to have a pecuniary interest in a matter:

§ If the person is unaware of the relevant pecuniary interest of the spouse, de facto partner, relative or company or other body, or

§ Just because the person is a member of, or is employed by, the Council.

§ Just because the person is a member of, or a delegate of the Council to, a company or other body that has a pecuniary interest in the matter provided that the person has no beneficial interest in any shares of the company or body.

Disclosure and participation in meetings

§ A Councillor or a member of a Council Committee who has a pecuniary interest in any matter with which the Council is concerned and who is present at a meeting of the Council or Committee at which the matter is being considered must disclose the nature of the interest to the meeting as soon as practicable.

§ The Councillor or member must not be present at, or in sight of, the meeting of the Council or Committee:

(a) at any time during which the matter is being considered or discussed by the Council or Committee, or

(b) at any time during which the Council or Committee is voting on any question in relation to the matter.

No Knowledge - a person does not breach this Clause if the person did not know and could not reasonably be expected to have known that the matter under consideration at the meeting was a matter in which he or she had a pecuniary interest.

Non-pecuniary Interests - Must be disclosed in meetings.

There are a broad range of options available for managing conflicts & the option chosen will depend on an assessment of the circumstances of the matter, the nature of the interest and the significance of the issue being dealt with. Non-pecuniary conflicts of interests must be dealt with in at least one of the following ways:

§ It may be appropriate that no action be taken where the potential for conflict is minimal. However, Councillors should consider providing an explanation of why they consider a conflict does not exist.

§ Limit involvement if practical (eg. Participate in discussion but not in decision making or vice-versa). Care needs to be taken when exercising this option.

§ Remove the source of the conflict (eg. Relinquishing or divesting the personal interest that creates the conflict)

§ Have no involvement by absenting yourself from and not taking part in any debate or voting on the issue as of the provisions in the Code of Conduct (particularly if you have a significant non-pecuniary interest)

RECORDING OF VOTING ON PLANNING MATTERS

Clause 375A of the Local Government Act 1993 – Recording of voting on planning matters

(1) In this section, planning decision means a decision made in the exercise of a function of a council under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979:

(a) including a decision relating to a development application, an environmental planning instrument, a development control plan or a development contribution plan under that Act, but

(b) not including the making of an order under that Act.

(2) The general manager is required to keep a register containing, for each planning decision made at a meeting of the council or a council committee, the names of the councillors who supported the decision and the names of any councillors who opposed (or are taken to have opposed) the decision.

(3) For the purpose of maintaining the register, a division is required to be called whenever a motion for a planning decision is put at a meeting of the council or a council committee.

(4) Each decision recorded in the register is to be described in the register or identified in a manner that enables the description to be obtained from another publicly available document, and is to include the information required by the regulations.

(5) This section extends to a meeting that is closed to the public.

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Staff Reports - General Manager 4.1

Staff Reports - General Manager

Report No. 4.1 Communications Report Jan 2020 - March 2020

Directorate: General Manager

Report Author: Annie Lewis, Media and Communications Coordinator

File No: I2020/529

Summary:

This report provides the Panel members with an overview of the activities of the Media and Communications team from January 2020 – March 2020.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Communications Panel notes the report.

Report

Media releases distributed in January – March

· COVID-19 X 7

· Biodiversity Strategy

· Wetlands closure

· Pools closed

· Roadworks - $25 million

· Bangalow Bridge & roadworks

· Public community consultations postponed

· Library closures

· Councillor super

· 2020 survey

· Sewer network upgrades

· Abestos dump

· Sustainability awards

· Eureka amenities

· $25 million announcement

· Asbestos dumping

· Arakwal Court

· Green waste disposal

· Rain event cost

· Budget conversation

· Water restrictions

· Avoid waterways

· Natural disaster

· Rain damage

· Road damage

· Heavy rain

· Flooding

· Rural events & weddings

· Belongil opening

· OSAMP

· Citizen of the year

· Bruns Bridge works

· Water restrictions x 2

· North Byron Flood Risk Mgt study

· Fed bypass decision

· Water challenge

· Australia Day x 2

· Telstra parking meters

· Roadworks – The Pocket Rd

· NYE

· Look after your pets

Media Responses

· Social distancing

· West Byron DA x 4

· COVID-19 x 8

· 5G x 3

· Planning team

· Suffolk Park fence

· Ocean Shores wall

· Website

· Van packers

· AirBNB

· Grey water discharge

· Tourist activities

· Eureka amenities

· Bruns Bridge

· Lighthouse birds x3

· Linnaeus

· Website problem

· Illegal fence works

· Planning meeting

· Water restricitons

· West Byron STP x 2

· Security

· Flooding x 3

· Mullum water

· Clarkes Beach landslip x 3

· Beach closures

Social Media/Digital Communications

The statistics for March were:

· Page views – 2,898

· Post reach – 57,427

· Videos – 21,646

· New followers – 261

· Engagements – 33, 432

Digital Engagement

Bang the Table – Your Say Byron Shire (Feb-March)

· 1,975 site visits

Website

Most popular content/page views in March:

· Coronavirus-COVID-19 - 8,096

· Media-releases/COVID-19-Coronavirus-information - 3,278

· Apply-for-parking-permits - 2,333

· DA-Tracker - 2,326

· Current-vacancies - 2,300

5 per cent of site visits use the search function (drop of 1% from last year). Most resulted in a click through to the correct page. Top search terms include:

· DCP – 33 unique searches

· Fees and charges - 26 unique searches

· DA tracker – 22 unique searches

· Forms - 21 unique searches

· Jobs – 19 unique searches

Technology

· 53% of users accessed the site via a mobile (mobile users continue to exceed desktop users).

· 41% of users accessed via a Desktop.

Financial Implications

Statutory and Policy Compliance Implications

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Staff Reports - General Manager 4.2

Report No. 4.2 Water and Sewer projects

Directorate: General Manager

Report Author: Annie Lewis, Media and Communications Coordinator

File No: I2020/530

Summary:

This report provides the Panel members with an update on communications activities in the Water and Sewer area.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Communications Panel notes the report.

Attachments:

1 Confidential - Communication and Engagement Plan Byron Bioenergy Centre, E2020/25212

Report

There are a number of projects in the Water and Sewer area that are being progressed. Following is a summary of the work being undertaken.

Dingo Lane Solar Farm

Detailed feasibility stage (42% complete). Local Stakeholder Engagement continuing.

To do:

· Media release - planned for April/May – project update

· Video script/storyboard - to be developed for production in May/June (post-COVID-19).

Bioenergy Facility

Stakeholder Engagement in planning stage. Communication and Engagement Plan approved by ET. See attached. Staff briefing provided to STP staff. Local market attendance cancelled due to Covid-19.

To do:

· Frequently Asked Questions

· Video/Animation – being considered.

· Your Say – in progress. To launch end of April with FAQs and other information.

· Media release – on launch of Your Say.

· Letter to local businesses – to be developed.

Inflow and Infiltration

Rectification works ongoing (Mullum 40% complete, Byron/Ocean Shores 15% complete, to be completed by June 2020). Stakeholder Engagement continuing, community roundtable presentation, media release/Your Say.

Brunswick Valley Sustainability Centre

Communication and Community Engagement Plan being drafted.

Sandhill’s Estate – Wetlands

Communication and Community Engagement Plan being drafted.

Additional Flow Path

Design complete. Stakeholder Engagement and construction on hold until after Covid-19. Communication and Community Engagement Plan complete.

To do:

· Communication materials – full suite to be developed (Your Say page, letters/flyer, FAQs etc.).

Asset Maintenance Improvement Plan

Planning stage. New plan in development.

To do:

· Communication and Community Engagement Plan – draft.

Financial Implications

Statutory and Policy Compliance Implications

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Staff Reports - General Manager 4.3

Report No. 4.3 COVID-19 - A comms perspective

Directorate: General Manager

Report Author: Annie Lewis, Media and Communications Coordinator

File No: I2020/538

Summary:

This report provides the Panel members with an overview of the communications activities that have been undertaken specifically in relation to COVID-19.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Communications Panel notes the report.

Report

Council has been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic since mid March, using a range of measures and strategies to inform the community, primarily about Council’s response to the evolving situation.

The key consideration is to direct people to the NSW and Australian Governments for general information about COVID-19. Council’s role at this time is support the lead agency, NSW Health, while providing relevant and timely information about the impact of COVID-19 on our operations.

Since 15 March the following has been undertaken:

· Media releases

1. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/Local-celebrities-support-ByronStayHome

2. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/FREE-COVID-19-clinic-now-open-at-Byron-Central-Hospital

3. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/Visitors-told-to-stay-away-from-Byron-Shire

4. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/COVID-19-update-31-March%E2%80%A6More-carparks-to-close

5. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/COVID-19-update-Council-responses-27-March

6. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/Byron-Wetlands-closed

7. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/COVID-19-update-Council-responses-26-March

8. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/Byron-Shire-pools-closed-from-25-March

9. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/COVID-19-Our-local-Council-response-for-our-local-community

10. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/Byron-Shire-Council-responses-to-COVID-19

11. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/Byron-Shire-Council-responses-to-COVID-19

12. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/Council-postpones-public-community-consultation-events

13. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/COVID-19-Coronavirus-information

14. https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Media-centre/Media-releases/Libraries-in-Byron-Lismore-Tweed-and-Ballina-Shires-closing-tomorrow

· Social media

There has been a significant investment of staff resources on our social media platforms to support the messages in the media release, as well as stand-alone posts. There have been approximately 50 posts in relation to COVID-19 with the following results on Facebook:

o Post reach: 83, 953

o Post engagement: 46,244

o New followers: 337

o Page views: 3,347

Note – the above results occurred without paid advertising and Council now has almost 7,000 followers.

· Videos

Amy shot and/- compiled two videos focusing on the #ByronStayHome message.

· Website

Considerable time has also been spent on Council’s website to ensure information presented is relevant and accessible. The page is continually being reviewed and improved as the situation evolves.

The Media and Communications team will continue to respond as necessary.

Financial Implications

Statutory and Policy Compliance Implications

Venue	Conference Room, Station Street, Mullumbimby
Date	Thursday, 9 April 2020
Time	9.00am