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

Directorate: General Manager

Report Author: Annie Lewis, Media and Communications Coordinator

File No: I2020/1036

Summary:

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

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Communications Panel notes the report (#TRIM doc number).

Report

Media releases distributed in April – June 2020

· Smart meters

· Unauthorised residential accommodation

· Access tags

· Flying foxes

· Caravan parks and Cav opening

· Bypass – Stage 4

· Bird survey

· Skateparks

· North Byron Floodplain Risk Mgt Plan

· Ewingsdale Rd

· Toilet rebuilds

· Community survey

· Water contamination response

· Community halls reopening

· Coolamon Scenic Dr safety works

· 3 PPPs

· Homelessness webinar

· SVS update

· Repentance Ck Rd causeway

· Council services

· Main Arm roadworks

· Bruns Bridge

· Gateway totem

· Caparks opening

· Tallow Creek

· Nat Rec Week

· LED lights

· Carparks re-open

· Volunteers Week

· Linda Sparrow

· Playgrounds & Skateparks opening

· Pet rego fees

· COVID & businesses

· Echidnas

· Dingo Lane solar farm short list

· National compost week

· Koala habitat

· Myocum Rd works

· Byron A&I Estate paln

· Social distancing

· Mitchell’s Rainforest Snail

· Rates relief

· Online initiatives – COVID

· Thank you – COVID

· Byron Bay bypass stages 2 & 3

· Keeping the wheels turning

· #ByronStayHome

· Small change grants

· Grant Guru

· Mullum Hospital

· Celebrities - #ByronStayHome

· Local Strategic Planning Statement

· COVID Clinic

· Visitors Stay Away

Media Responses April – June 2020

· Residential building approvals x 2

· 13.8 Planning meeting

· Bruns chamber and PP data

· Water tanks

· Eureka development

· Floodplain Risk Mgt Plan

· Bypass project

· Affordable Housing contribution policy

· BSN words for last edition

· Biodiversity strategy

· Mullumbimby skatepark

· Snail relocation

· Community survey

· Compliance – Broken Head

· West Byron subdivision

· Rent relief

· Planning meeting minutes

· Carpark closures

· Cape Bryon fence

· Residential building approvals

· Planning meeting minutes

· Bypass work stopped

· 5G water tower contamination

· Australian Geographic magazine

· Biodiversity Strategy

· West Byron x 3

· Affordable housing contributions

· Bypass midden

· Confidential attachments

· DAs 2020

· Bushfire funding

· Beach car park

· Byron jobs data

· Shark smart

· Byron bus interchange

· 5G x 4

· COVID – public gatherings

· John Anderson Public Access

· COVID – media release follow

· Barking dogs

· Scarrabelotti’s lookout

· COVID – business support

· Backpacker jobs

· Mullumbimby Hospital

· West Byron Shire Council

· Rail link

· COVID – Health order

Social Media/Digital Communications April – June 2020

The statistics for April were:

· Page views – 2,277

· Post reach – 67,517

· Videos – 23,844

· New followers – 156

· Engagements – 23,376

The statistics for May were:

· Page views – 1,807

· Post reach – 46,070

· Videos – 8,552

· New followers – 97

· Engagements – 18,465

The statistics for June were:

· Page views – 1,354

· Post reach – 25,154

· Videos – 6,341

· New followers – 60

· Engagements – 11,824

Best performing posts April:

· Asphalting on Bangalow Rd (Hanks works for Suffolk Cycleway) 7,991 reach

· Mullum Tincogan Street resurfacing - 5,815 reach

· Council’s Ordinary Meeting Livestream: 6,665 reach. 1.3k people viewed.

Best performing posts May:

· COVID-19 - Carparks reopening – 21 May 2020. 11,200 reach

· Echidna train – 9,200 reach

· Council’s Planning Meeting - 21 May 2020 livestream: 1.8k viewer in the morning and 1.4k in the afternoon. Top audience – men 65+

· Council’s Ordinary Meeting – 28 May 2020 livestream: 1.8k viewers in the morning and 1.2k in the afternoon. Top audience – women 25-34.

Best performing posts June:

· Bypass stage 4 starting soon – 8,598 reach

· SGB toilets – 3,500 reach

· Bruns Skatepark – 3,200 reach

· Railway Park award – 2,300 reach

· Byron Creek Bridge – 2,300 reach

E News (13,000 people)

· April - 4,575 people opened it which is about a 35% open rate. A good hit is between 10-25%

· May - open rates of 37.7%, 36%.

· June – open rate , 35.8%, 31.3%

Digital Engagement April – June 2020

Bang the Table – Your Say Byron Shire (April – June 2020)

· 4,100 site visits

Website April – June 2020

April - website page views – 85,863

Venue	Conference Room, Station Street, Mullumbimby
Date	Thursday, 30 July 2020
Time	2.00pm