Agenda of Strategic Business 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

Adoption of Minutes from Previous Meetings 3.1

Adoption of Minutes from Previous Meetings

Report No. 3.1 Adoption of Minutes from 10 September 2020 meeting

Directorate: Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report Author: Lisa Richards, Business Enterprise Officer

File No: I2021/74

RECOMMENDATION:

That the minutes of the Strategic Business Panel Meeting held on 10 September 2020 be confirmed.

Attachments:

1 Minutes for 10 September 2020 Strategic Business Panel, I2020/1397 , page 7⇩

Report

The attachment to this report provides the minutes of the Strategic Business Panel Meeting of 20 September 2020 .

BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

Staff Reports - Sustainable Environment and Economy 4.1

Staff Reports - Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report No. 4.1 Strategic Business Panel agenda report 28 January 2021

Directorate: Sustainable Environment and Economy

Report Author: Lisa Richards, Business Enterprise Officer

File No: I2021/10

Summary:

This report outlines the agenda for the Strategic Business Panel meeting on Thursday 28 January 2020.

The following agenda items will be presented for updates and discussion:

· Update on the Bypassed Town signage online consultation

· Update on the ‘in good company Northern Rivers’ campaign

· Review of the Enterprising Byron strategy by June 2021

· Review of the Business Roundtable

· Outcomes of Small Business Month’s mental health and wellbeing event for business owners

· New Economic Outlook tool on Council’s website and future workshop

· Update on the Business E-newsletter

· Discussion around format of future Strategic Business Panels at next Panel meeting

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Strategic Business Panel notes the updates provided by staff and other agenda items.

Report

Update on the Bypassed Town signage online consultation

Online consultation with key community stakeholders in Mullumbimby, Brunswick Heads and Bangalow is open until 31 January 2021 https://www.yoursaybyronshire.com.au/highway-town-signage

Update on the ‘in good company Northern Rivers’ campaign

Council is supporting the application made by Business NSW for a grant of $90,000 under the Bushfire Community Recovery and Resilience Fund phase 2 stream 2, to enable the delivery of volume two of ‘in good company Northern Rivers’.

‘In good company Northern Rivers’ campaign tells a regional story on business in the Northern Rivers, encouraging investment attraction and increasing business confidence collectively. The campaign will include up to 10 stories (including photography) on Byron Shire businesses on the ‘in good company Northern Rivers website’ as well as be supported by a social media rollout, podcasts with business leader interviews and hardcopy book distributed to high traffic areas such as libraries and cafes etc.

The Bigger Backyard business to business pledge campaign will run alongside this to influence local procurement behaviour and increase the uptake of buy local supply chains.

For more information on the ‘in good company Northern Rivers campaign’ visit https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/

For more information on the Bigger Backyard campaign visit: https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/bigger-backyard/

Update of the Enterprising Byron strategy by June 2021

Staff is updating the Action Plan of the Enterprising Byron Strategy based on findings from the Business Impacts, Resilience and Continuity Survey 2020 and the most recent economic data available via the .id tool on Council’s website.

Review of the Business Roundtable

Staff is reviewing the Business Roundtable format in consultation with the Chambers of Commerce.

Outcomes of Small Business Month’s mental health and wellbeing event for business owners

Council’s ‘A Healthy Mindset for Business workshop’ for small business owners, facilitated by Mullumbimby Psychology was booked out in October.

Facilitated by Mullumbimby Psychology, this in-person workshop provided small business owners the opportunity to connect with other small business owners and covers a range of topics including:

· Small Business Owner Mental Health Check (confidential) and Self Care Plan.

· Skills for managing burnout and COVID information overload.

· Resources and handouts for managing the unknown and supporting employees.

Small business owners commented that the in-person event was successful in terms of making new business connections and receiving key tools and resources to minimise stress, improve time management and share experiences.

Staff is conducting a call-out to industry via council’s social media platforms and business e-newsletter to gauge interest in holding another event.

New Economic Outlook tool on Council’s website and future workshop

.id consulting is adding a new module to Council’s website that provides economic forecasts at the local level. It is designed to estimate how each industry, and the overall local economy, will perform on a quarterly basis as we transition through the various phases of COVID impacts.

It is called Outlook and includes the following;

· Estimates for change out to June 2022

· GRP Change

· Output & Value -add by industry

· Jobs & Employed Residents by industry

· Quarterly change over time from Sep 2018 to June 2022

· Comparisons with Greater Melbourne and Australia

· 114 industry classifications

· Auto report for key findings

Staff is arranging an online workshop for Councillors, business community and key stakeholders on how to use this new data tool.

Update on the Business E-newsletter

Monthly e-newsletter emailed out to the business community and key stakeholders. Link to e-newsletter provided in Councillor Bulletin.

Discussion around format of future Strategic Business Panels at next Panel meeting

Staff would like to create discussion around the format of future Strategic Business Panels at the March Panel meeting.

Financial Implications

Statutory and Policy Compliance Implications

Venue	Council Chambers, Station Street, Mullumbimby
Date	Thursday, 28 January 2021
Time	4.30pm