Update To Infrastructure Charges Resolution

Frank Wilkie335:44

Okay, put it to the 5,000 fiver. That is unanimous. Thank you, Zach. Thank you, shauna. Thank you. Zach. Next item is the update to the infrastructure charges resolution written by odd-Born ludvigsen. And in his place, we have odds. Lut is online. Welcome, lut. Yeah. Good afternoon, Councillors. Good to know you're still around. Yeah, still around. Yeah. Could you tell us what this report is all about, please? Okay. Basically, it's just updating our current charges resolution to actually align with the latest update to the planning regulation for the scheduled charges be that Council can apply. It just brings it up to the 2025-26, from financial year to the current year. 2026, 2027.2026-27. We do this every year and it's just a simple increase, an adjustment. This year it's an increase of 3.7% from last year's charge rates. Yep. Questions for lord? Councillor Phillips?

Frank Wilkie337:24

Um the planning regulation sets the maximum charges in its schedule 16, which prescribes the maximum amounts that Council can charge. Council can then, if it wants to charge development, for uh you know to help uh pay for infrastructure, trunk infrastructure, then it needs a charges resolution. Now that charges resolution. Is split between us and also um uh Unitywater. So Unitywater has a proportion of the maximum charge that they can charge. That's been in an agreement since 2014. We actually try to as well. And Council can only charge up to the maximum. So there are a number of developments, like one-bedroom units, secondary dwellings, et cetera, that Council has actually reduced the charges for various reasons. But yeah, Council cannot go above the maximum charge rate for a development use in GFA and a number of bedrooms for residential. Thank you.

Hello. Good afternoon, Councillors. Yeah, Richard. I'm here. Hayley, the author of the report, is unfortunately away, so unable to present. She's done a lot of the work, but Clint and going to tag team and give you an update on this. So the report, as you're aware, seeks approval to repeal the existing Community Purpose Land and Infrastructure Tenure Policy and adopt a new community tenure policy. The review was identified as an action in the Council's 25/26 operational plan and has been undertaken to ensure our approach to community tenure remains contemporary, transparent and aligned with Council's governance, asset management and financial sustainability objectives. The current policy has served Council and the community well since its adoption in 2015. However, over time, community expectations, asset management practices and governance requirements have evolved. This review has identified opportunities to strengthen decision-making processes, improve consistency and transparency, better align tenure arrangement with Council's asset management framework and provide clearer guidance for community organisations. Feedback received from community groups and stakeholders over time has been collated and has helped inform review and improvement to Council's community tenure policy. The new established a principles-based framework for the allocation, management and review of community tenure arrangements. It introduces clearer eligibility requirements, assessment criteria and allocation principles to support fair, transparent and consistent decision-making. Importantly it ensures community tenure, it ensures tenure arrangements continue to deliver genuine community benefit, align with community priorities, Council's priorities sorry, demonstrate organisational capability and represent long-term value for the community. A significant enhancement in this policy is the introduction of a contemporary rental framework. This recognises that community organisations deliver varying levels of community benefit and operate with different levels of organisational capacity and commercial activity. The framework provides a more equitable and transparent basis for determining rental charges and financial assistance, whilst also supporting the long-term financial sustainability of Council's community infrastructure portfolio and reducing dependency on funding from the general rates. It is important to highlight that the important to highlight that as part of the proposed new policy around 85% of the current community groups will remain on the standard one unit rental charge for tenure which is around six hundred and thirty nine dollars. The policy does not amend or replace any existing permit or license arrangements nor does it immediately change the rights or obligations of existing community organisations. Rather it establishes the framework the strategic framework Council will apply when making community tenure decisions. The policy also strengthens the integration of community tenure and asset management by placing greater emphasis on life cycle planning, whole of life costs and early collaboration on capital improvements and externally funded projects. This will help ensure Council and community organisations work together to plan for the ongoing management and sustainability of community assets. Council has already recently taken on statutory maintenance, fire, electrical and pest responsibility for the majority of community groups, to reduce costs to those groups, but also ensure consistent oversight of these important maintenance activities. The proposed policy also confirmed Council controlled land should not be used to facilitate the establishment of or expansion of electronic gaming machine activities through community tenure arrangements. This is consistent with Council's commitment to healthy, safe and inclusive communities. While broad community consultation has not been undertaken as part of the review, it is proposed that engagement will occur directly with the individual community organisations as their tenure agreements approach expire. Expiry. This will provide an opportunity to explain the new framework, discuss its practical application, and support collaborative transition to future tenure arrangements. Overall, the proposed policy provides Council with a modern, transparent, and strategically aligned framework that supports responsible stewardship of public assets, sustainable financial management in the country. The continued delivery of long-term community benefit. Thanks. Over to you, Councillors.