Agenda of Ordinary Meeting - Thursday, 17 November 2022

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.1 Sunshine Coast Council Annual Report 2021/22

File No: Council Meetings

Author: Coordinator Corporate Planning and Performance

Civic Governance

Appendices: App a - Sunshine Coast Council Annual Report 2021/22 .. 5/275

purpose

This report presents the Annual Report 2021/22 for the Sunshine Coast Council (Council), covering the period 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

The Annual Report 2021/22 is a statutory requirement of the Local Government Act 2009 and provides all information required by the Act and the Local Government Regulation 2012.

Executive Summary

The Sunshine Coast Council Annual Report 2021/22 provides an important communication channel to keep the community and stakeholders informed on Council’s delivery of the Operational Plan 2021/22 over the financial year and progress towards the delivery of the Corporate Plan 2021-2025. It features major achievements and highlights and shows Council’s commitment to achieving our vision for the region through reporting on the progress of each corporate plan goal. It includes Council’s annual disclosures and audited financial statements.

This year our Annual Report outlines Council’s commitment to:

· Balancing our community, environment and economic strategic objectives as we seek to achieve our vision as Australia’s most sustainable region. Healthy. Smart. Creative.

· Providing regional leadership as we position our region for the future and partner with our community, business and other tiers of government to effectively manage growth

· Responding to a changing climate by taking proactive action, committing to zero net emissions and embedding sustainability in everything we do, and

· Remaining agile and responsive to the changing needs of our community as we work together to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and severe weather events.

Overall, Council was able deliver:

· 83% of the Operational Plan 2021/22, despite the need to adjust operations to keep our community safe through several weather events, and

· 85% of the $268 million Capital Works Program, despite significant supply chain challenges impacting access to materials, services and labour that in some cases contributed to increased project costs.

Below is a summary of key highlights for the 2021/22 financial year aligned to the relevant Corporate Plan goal.

Our Strong Community

· Council welcomed the announcement on 21 July 2021 that Brisbane secured the rights to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games; the Sunshine Coast will play an integral role as a delivery partner hosting several events with an athlete’s village for officials and competitors within the Maroochydore City Centre.

· The ‘ThinkChange’ travel behaviour change program was launched in May 2022 to encourage people to make small changes to their travel habits and reduce congestion, improve our lifestyle and help our environment.

· A renewed online community engagement platform called ‘Have Your Say’ was launched in July 2021, making it as easy as possible for residents to be involved in Council projects – 10,000 people have registered.

Our Environment and Liveability

· The Sunshine Coast officially gained international recognition as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on 16 June 2022, recognising our region as a site of excellence, committed to responsible development and people living sustainably alongside active conservation.

· In November 2021, Council formally recognised that we are in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent and sustained effort to achieve zero net emission by 2041 and agreed to develop a governance structure that strengthens Council’s climate actions.

· The South East Queensland City Deal was signed on 21 March 2022, committing $35.3 million towards the Blue Heart Sunshine Coast; the project will assist the Maroochy River catchment to continue to play its important flood storage role and maintain biodiversity well into the future.

Our Resilient Economy

· 71% (or $300 million) of Council’s total available purchasing spend for the year was awarded to local businesses.

· $72.6 million in direct economic benefit was generated from 62 Sunshine Coast events through the Sunshine Coast Major Events Sponsorship Program.

· Council’s International Broadband Submarine Cable landing station was acquired by ASX listed company NEXTDC for $8 million in December 2021 – this is expected to provide a great stimulus for investment and employment opportunities in the region.

Our Service Excellence

· 45,000 garden organic bins were distributed in May 2022, contributing to Council’s commitment to reduce waste to landfill.

· $22.9 million was invested to rehabilitate and resurface 83.5 kilometres of local roads to improve the safety of these roads for our community (a total area of 601,466m²).

· 304,745 customers were assisted through the development services counters and customer contact centres.

Our Outstanding Organisation

· $314.4 million was received from Palisade Investment Partners on 30 June 2022, this was the final payment and extinguished all debt Council had incurred for the Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion project.

· Council’s commitment to wellbeing, health and safety has positively impacted our organisational safety culture and resulted in a 23% decrease in the employee lost time injury frequency rate.

· Council and Council employees have been recognised both nationally and internationally for its world-class performance by receiving 23 awards throughout the 2021/22 financial year.

Officer Recommendation

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Sunshine Coast Council Annual Report 2021/22” and

(b) adopt the Sunshine Coast Council Annual Report 2021/22 (Appendix A).

Finance and Resourcing

The cost of preparing the Annual Report is included within the operational budget for the Corporate Planning and Performance team. The report is developed by internal resources and designed to be viewed digitally through Council’s website to contribute to sustainability objectives. There will be no hard copies produced – printed versions are available on request in accordance with Council’s fees and charges register.

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our outstanding organisation

Outcome: We serve our community by providing this great service.

Operational Activity: S30 - Governance – providing internal leadership, legal opinion, governance and audit functions ensuring legislative accountability, transparency and ethical obligations are supported.

Consultation

Councillor Consultation

· Councillor E Hungerford, Portfolio Councillor for Outstanding Organisation

· Councillor J Natoli, Portfolio Councillor for Outstanding Organisation.

Internal Consultation

The Corporate Planning and Performance team have engaged with the:

· Chief Executive Officer

· Chief Strategy Officer

· Executive Leadership Team

· Communications Branch

· Corporate Governance Branch

· Finance Branch

External Consultation

There has been no external engagement in preparing this report.

Community Engagement

There has been no community engagement in preparing this report.

Proposal

The Annual Report 2021/22 provides information to our community on the implementation of Council’s corporate and operational plans over the past financial year and features major achievements, highlights and updates on our progress towards being Australia’s most sustainable region. Healthy. Smart. Creative.

The Annual Report 2021/22 comprises four parts as described below:

Section 1 - Introduction

This section provides introductory information to the Annual Report and contains:

· message from the Mayor

· message from the Chief Executive Officer

· key statistics about the Sunshine Coast and Council

· Councillor names, divisions and portfolios

· Council’s corporate structure.

Section 2 - Report on performance against our Corporate and Operational Plans

This section is aligned to Council’s five corporate goals and includes:

· a summary of the desired outcome and pathways of each goal

· goal measures with the target and result for the year

· major highlights from the implementation of the Corporate Plan 2021-2025 and Operational Plan 2021/22, and

· key service statistics.

Section 3 - Annual Disclosures

This section covers non-financial information required to be published in Council’s Annual Report in accordance with the Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012. Annual disclosures are considered best practice in annual reports and information on governance and risk management are included.

Section 4 - Financial information

This section contains Council’s Community Financial Report, audited financial statements and other financial information required under Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012.

The financial information is presented to Council through a separate report and included within the Annual Report following adoption.

Legal

The Annual Report has been complied in line with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2009, the Local Government Regulation 2012 (the Regulation) and the Public Sector Ethics Act 1994.

Section 182 (2) of the Regulation provides that a local government must adopt its annual report within one month after the day the Auditor-General gives the Auditor-General’s audit report about the local government’s financial statements for the financial year to the local government. The Queensland Audit Office provided the Independent Auditor’s Report on Council’s Financial Statements (which forms part of the Financial Statements, which are the subject of another report to be considered at this meeting) to Council on 10 October 2022.

While Council will formally consider the adoption of the Annual Report seven days after the date nominated in the Regulation, this is solely due to the timing of the Ordinary Meeting. All statutory timeframes in relation to the preparation and certification of Council’s Financial Statements have been satisfied by Council. It is also noted that due to the timing for the publication of the Agenda Papers for the Ordinary Meeting, the content of the Annual Report and the Financial Statements will be published and publicly accessible from 7 November 2022, which is well within the one-month timeframe nominated in section 182 (2) of the Regulation.

In addition, the Queensland Audit Office has reviewed the Sunshine Coast Annual Report 2021/22 as a requirement of the Australian Auditing Standard (ASA 720) and Auditor-General Act 2009 (Qld), to examine whether the financial information and non-financial information is consistent with the financial statements audited.

Policy

All governance disclosures are consistent with Council’s policies, including:

• Code of Conduct for Councillors in Queensland (Queensland Government, 2020)

• Community Grants Policy

• Competition Reform Compliance Policy

• Administrative Action Complaints Management Process

• Councillors’ Expenses Reimbursement and Provision of Facilities Policy

• Related Party Disclosures Policy

• Remuneration and Benefits Policy

• 2021/22 Revenue Policy

• 2021/22 Procurement Policy

Risk

In accordance with Council’s Risk Management Framework, the risks and opportunities identified in relation to the annual report include:

Reputation/public image: the report provides information on Council’s Operational Plan delivery and progress towards our Corporate Plan with both qualitative and quantitative updates to the community, and

Legislative: the report meets the legislative requirements of the Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government Regulation 2012.

Previous Council Resolution

Ordinary Meeting 10 November 2021 (OM21/101)

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Sunshine Coast Council Annual Report 2020/21” and

(b) adopt the Sunshine Coast Council Annual Report 2020/21 (Appendix A).

Related Documentation

· Corporate Plan 2021-2025

· Operational Plan 2021/22

· Quarterly Progress Reports for 2021/22

Critical Dates

Section 182 (4) of the Regulation provides that the local government must publish its annual report on its website within two weeks of adopting the annual report. The annual report adopted by Council will be published on Council’s website following the conclusion of the Ordinary Meeting at which it is considered. Further, the Annual Report proposed for adoption will have been published on Council’s website from 7 November 2022.

Implementation

Should the recommendations be accepted by Council, the Sunshine Coast Council Annual Report 2021/22 will be published and made available through the following channels:

· Sunshine Coast Council website – document viewing and ability to download and print the report, and

· Queensland State Library – a digital copy will be provided for their records.

Community organisations and individuals requiring a hard copy of the Sunshine Coast Council Annual Report 2021/22 will be able to print a free copy from Council’s website or purchase a copy from Council’s customer contact centres on request in accordance with the adopted fees and charges register.

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.2 2021/22 Financial Statements and Community Financial Report

File No: Council Meetings

Author: Coordinator Financial Accounting

Business Performance Group

Attachments: Att 1 - Independent Auditors Report and Certified General Purpose Financial Statements 2021/22 .............................................................. 83/275

Att 2 - Queensland Audit Office Final Management Report 2021/22 147/275

Att 3 - Community Financial Report 2021/22 ................... 153/275

Att 4 - SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd Annual Report 2022 161/275

Att 5 - Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd Annual Report 2021/22 187/275

purpose

The purpose of this report is to present to Council the audited Financial Statements for the financial year ended 30 June 2022, Queensland Audit Office Final Management Report 2021/22 and Community Financial Report 2021/22 in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012.

The 2021/22 audited Financial Statements and annual report for Council’s controlled entities, SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd and Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd are also attached.

Executive Summary

1. Financial Statements 2021/22 (attachment 1)

The 2021/22 Financial Statements have been audited by Council’s external auditors the Queensland Audit Office (QAO) to ensure accounting and legislative compliance.

Queensland Audit Office has issued an unmodified audit opinion.

This is the 14th consecutive unmodified audit opinion achieved by Sunshine Coast Council.

The result of Council’s audit will be included in the annual Auditor-General’s report to Parliament on the results of local government audits.

2. Queensland Audit Office Final Management Report 2021/22 (attachment 2)

The QAO Final Management Report for the 2021/22 Financial Statements is attached. This report provides details on audit matters and other important information related to the audited financial statements.

The report also provides a summary of issues that have been previously raised but are not yet resolved, along with an update on actions taken to resolve these issues.

3. Community Financial Report 2021/22 (attachment 3)

Council is required to prepare a Community Financial Report for each financial year. The report contains a summary and analysis of Council’s financial performance and position for the financial year and will be included in the Annual Report.

4. SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd Annual Report 2021/22 (attachment 4)

The 2021/22 Annual Report, including the audited Financial Statements, for Council’s controlled entity SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd (SunCentral) is attached.

SunCentral’s Financial Statements received an unmodified audit opinion from the Queensland Audit Office, and the financial results are included in the Consolidated columns of Council’s financial statements.

5. Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd Annual Report 2021/22 (attachment 5)

The 2021/22 Annual Report, including the audited Financial Statements, for Council’s controlled entity Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd (the Foundation) is attached.

The Foundation’s Financial Statements received an unmodified audit opinion from the Queensland Audit Office, however the financial results are not included in the Consolidated columns of Council’s financial statements as they are not material to Council.

Officer Recommendation

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “2021/22 Financial Statements and Community Financial Report ”, and

(b) note that the 2021/22 Community Financial Report, 2021/22 Financial Statements and associated financial information will be included as Section 4 of Council’s 2021/22 Annual Report.

Finance and Resourcing

The original estimate for the cost of Council’s 2021/22 audit was $250,000 however due to additional effort required from matters identified on the audit, the final fee is $282,000.

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our outstanding organisation

Outcome: We serve our community by providing this great service.

Operational Activity: S28 - Financial and procurement services – financial and procurement management and governance, ensuring effective business management and legislative compliance, coordination and development of Council’s budget process, administration of financial systems, sundry debtors, accounts payable, financial and asset accounting, treasury, procurement, contract and supply functions.

Consultation

Portfolio Councillor Consultation

The Portfolio Councillors, Councillor E Hungerford and Councillor J Natoli, have received advice of this report from the Audit Committee process.

Internal Consultation

Internal liaison occurred with various staff members within the Finance Branch and other areas of Council in compiling the 2021/22 Financial Statements. The 2021/22 Financial Statements have been presented to Council’s Audit Committee for review and clearance.

External Consultation

· Queensland Audit Office

· Queensland Treasury Corporation

· Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning

· Australis Advisory Group Pty Ltd

· Stantec Australia Pty Ltd (formerly Cardno (Qld) Pty Ltd)

· Unitywater

· SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd

· Sunshine Coast Events Centre Pty Ltd

· Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd

External auditors Queensland Audit Office have audited the draft 2021/22 Financial Statements and Current Year Financial Sustainability Statement. The Long-Term Financial Sustainability Statement is not able to be audited as it is based on forward estimates.

Community Engagement

No community engagement was required for this report.

Proposal

1. Financial Statements 2021/22 (attachment 1)

The statutory Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2022, along with comparative figures for 2021, are attached (attachment 1).

These statements have been reviewed through the Audit Committee process as follows:

· Draft Financial Statements presented to Audit Committee on 8 September 2022

· Draft Financial Statements audited by Queensland Audit Office during September 2022

· Final draft Financial Statements and Queensland Audit Office Closing Report for the year ended 30 June 2022 presented to Audit Committee on 6 October 2022.

Queensland Audit Office has issued an unmodified audit opinion for Council’s 2021/22 Financial Statements, and its controlled entities (the Group) SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd, Sunshine Coast Events Centre Pty Ltd and Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd. This means the financial report:

a) Gives a true and fair view of Council’s and the Group’s financial position as at 30 June 2022, and of their financial performance and cash flows for the year then ended

b) Complies with the Local Government Act 2009, the Local Government Regulation 2012 and Australian Accounting Standards.

This is the 14^th consecutive unmodified audit opinion achieved by Sunshine Coast Council.

These results will be included in the annual Auditor-General report to parliament on the results of Local Government audits, published in early 2023.

Council v Consolidated Statements

Council’s Financial Statements are presented in consolidation format, with 2 columns representing Council’s stand-alone position, and a second two columns where Council’s interest in its subsidiaries is disclosed.

On consolidation, Council’s interest in its wholly owned subsidiaries (SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd, Sunshine Coast Events Centre Pty Ltd and its associate Unitywater), are included. The financials for Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd, were not consolidated into Council’s financial statements as the amounts were not material to Council.

Council’s stand-alone results are reported below as they are more directly comparable to Council’s Budget and Monthly Financial Performance Reports. In addition, the operating result and cash flows for Council are considered to be a better reflection of Council’s position.

The consolidated statements include accounting entries to recognise a share of the profits of Council’s subsidiaries and associated entities. In the case of Unitywater this share of profit is not directly available to Council until received in the form of dividends in future years.

Council’s key financial outcomes for 2021/22 are as follows.

i. Operating Surplus Ratio – This indicator measures the extent to which our operating revenue exceeds our expenditure. Target: Between 0% and 10%.

ii. Asset Sustainability Ratio – Measures the extent to which our infrastructure assets are managed, with an orderly renewal regime in place.

The ratio of 71.2% is less than the 90% target, however is considered an acceptable result for a growth Council with a relatively young asset base and reflects Council’s ongoing commitment to the renewal of its assets. The region has experienced significant growth in recent periods, leading to an increase in constructed and contributed assets. The influx of new assets is reducing the collective age of Council’s assets, lowering the requirement of renewals expenditure and the Asset Sustainability Ratio forecast. Sunshine Coast Council’s renewal program is based on asset management plans and is completed in conjunction with a stringent scheduled maintenance program.

iii. Net Financial Liabilities Ratio – The indicator measures the extent to which the net financial liabilities of Council can be repaid from our operating revenue streams. Target: Not greater than 60%.

The ratio reflects Council’s refinanced debt portfolio, which provides inter-generational equity for the funding of long term infrastructure projects.

The Financial Management (Sustainability) Guideline 2013 states “high average Net Financial Liabilities ratio projections over the long-term are typically indicative of a local government that is undertaking/has undertaken significant infrastructure projects. Whilst some local governments may not achieve the recommended target for Net Financial Liabilities Ratio on average over the long-term, this does not necessarily indicate that a local government is likely to be unsustainable over the long-term. In such cases, well-managed local governments with robust financial management systems and the ability to service current and projected debt levels, can maintain long-term sustainability and average Net Financial Liabilities ratio projections over the long-term that exceed the recommended target.”

2. Queensland Audit Office Final Management Report 2021/22 (attachment 2)

The QAO Final Management Report for the 2021/22 financial statements provides details on audit matters and other important information related to the audited financial statements.

The report also provides a list of all control deficiencies, financial reporting issues and other matters that have previously been raised but are not yet resolved. The listing includes issues from our reports this year and those issues raised in prior years.

Following the 2021/22 financial statement audit, remaining issues include 3 Internal Control items, and 1 Financial Reporting item as follows:

No.	Date identified	Issue	Details	Action Date	Status
Financial Reporting Issues
22FR-1	Sep 2022	Medium Risk Formal review of remaining useful lives for assets is required	This will require a collaborative approach involving Asset Management Branch and the Asset Managers	2022/23 financial statements	Work in progress
Internal Control Issues
22IR-1	Mar 2022	Significant Deficiency Weaknesses in security settings, user access privileges and checking of a key control report (5 actions)	Payroll system and processes	30/11/2022	Resolved (1) Resolved pending audit clearance (3) In progress (1)
22IR-2	Mar 2022	Significant Deficiency Weaknesses in security over EFT payment data, user access privileges and checking of key control reports (6 actions)	System enhancements required for the Payroll and Accounts Payable systems	30/6/2023	Work in progress (3) requiring system configuration Resolved (3)
21-IR-8	Sep 2021 Re-raised	Deficiency Other infrastructure asset class comprehensive revaluation not performed at the 5-year interval	This was on track for 2021/22 however due to unavailability of key staff, was unable to be completed, therefore indices were applied to ensure the values were materially correct	2022/23 financial statements	Work in progress

3. Community Financial Report 2021/22 (attachment 3)

Council is required to prepare a Community Financial Report for each financial year. The report contains an easy to understand summary and analysis of Council’s financial performance and position for the financial year and will be included in the Annual Report.

4. SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd (attachment 4)

The 2021/22 audited Financial Statements and Annual Report for Council’s controlled entity, SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd (SunCentral), are attached (attachment 4). These financial statements received an unmodified audit opinion from the Queensland Audit Office. The financial results of SunCentral are included in the Consolidated columns of Council’s financial statements.

5. Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd (attachment 5)

The 2021/22 audited Financial Statements and Annual Report for Council’s controlled entity, Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd (the Foundation), are attached (attachment 5). These financial statements received an unmodified audit opinion from the Queensland Audit Office. The financial results of the Foundation are not included in the Consolidated columns of Council’s financial statements as they are not material to Council.

Legal

The Annual Report has been compiled in line with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2009, the Local Government Regulation 2012 (the Regulation) and the Public Sector Ethics Act 1994.

Section 213B of the Local Government Regulation 2012 states that the audited Financial Statements of Council’s controlled entities must be presented at the next ordinary meeting of Council and published on Council’s website within 14 days of the ordinary meeting.

Policy

There are no relevant policies related to this report.

Risk

Council has a statutory obligation to prepare annual general purpose Financial Statements that are subject to audit by the Auditor-General or their contracted representative.

Previous Council Resolution

Audit Committee Meeting 6 October 2022 (AC22/39)

The Audit Committee receives and notes the “final draft Financial Statements and current year financial sustainability statement”, and the Queensland Audit Office closing report on its audit of these statements for the financial year 2021/22.

The Audit Committee notes and acknowledges the positive outcome of the audit process and the hard work that has been undertaken to achieve this audit outcome.

The Audit Committee advises that it has been actively involved in the preparation process throughout the year and in that process has reviewed previous drafts of these statements. It has received an update on changes which have occurred in those drafts up to the finalisation of this final draft.

On the basis of the work of the Audit Committee, subject to the completion of outstanding matters, we are not aware of any issue which would prevent the Council from adopting this draft and approving the Council’s Financial Statements for the year 2021/22.

Ordinary Council Meeting 22 September 2022 (OM22/78)

That Council receive and note the report titled “Queensland Audit Office – Second Interim Management Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2022”.

Audit Committee Meeting 8 September 2022 (AC22/29)

That the Audit Committee receive and note the report titled “Draft 2021/22 Financial Statements”.

Audit Committee Meeting 23 May 2022 (AC22/19)

That the Audit Committee receive and note the report titled “Annual Financial Statement Risk and Planning Assessment”.

Ordinary Council Meeting 28 April 2022 (OM22/25)

That Council receive and note the report titled “Queensland Audit Office - First Interim Management Report for the financial year ended 30 June 2022”.

Audit Committee Meeting 24 January 2022 (AC22/5)

That the Audit Committee receive and note the report titled “Planning for the 2021/22 Financial Statement Audit Process.”

Related Documentation

There is no related documentation for this report.

Critical Dates

Section 182 (4) of the Regulation provides that the local government must publish its annual report on its website within 2 weeks of adopting the annual report. The annual report adopted by Council will be published on Council’s website following the conclusion of the Ordinary Meeting at which it is considered. Further, the Annual Report proposed for adoption will have been published on Council’s website from 7 November 2022.

Implementation

The 2021/22 Financial Statements and 2021/22 Community Financial Report will be included in Section 4 of Council’s 2021/22 Annual Report. The 2021/22 Annual Reports for Council, SunCentral Maroochydore Pty Ltd and Sunshine Coast Arts Foundation Ltd will be published on Council’s website.

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.3 Transport Levy Annual Report 2021/22

File No: Council Meetings

Author: Coordinator Transport Strategy & Policy

Customer & Planning Services Group

Appendices: App a - Transport Levy Annual Report 2021/22.................... 27 ⇩

purpose

This report presents the Transport Levy Annual Report 2021/22 (Appendix A) which provides an overview of the Transport Levy Program achievements for the 2021/22 financial year.

Executive Summary

The Transport Levy Policy aims to provide a basis for improving the Sunshine Coast Council’s strategic transport network and supporting its users. It aligns with the vision and objectives identified in Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy.

The Transport Levy, which is contributed to by all ratepayers, plays an important role in enabling Council to investigate and deliver transport solutions now and into the future for the region, including major, long-term, multi-modal infrastructure outcomes.

The Transport Levy funding allocations are set as part of Council’s annual budget development and adoption process. Projects for funding consideration under the Transport Levy are submitted from across the organisation.

The Transport Levy Annual Report 2021/22 (Appendix A) has been produced to communicate the achievements of the Transport Levy to ratepayers and the broader community in an engaging and informative manner.

In 2021/22, the Transport Levy amount was $44 per rateable property and raised just over $6.5 million, which has enabled Council to deliver a number of program initiatives. The Transport Levy Program initiatives are delivered under five sub-programs:

1. Service improvements

2. Infrastructure assets

3. User benefits

4. Research, planning and investigations

5. Transport Futures Fund.

In 2021/22 the Transport Levy produced a number of achievements including:

· Upgrades to 25 bus stops across the Sunshine Coast were completed, comprising a mix of new shelters on high patronaged stops frequented by seniors, and bike parking facilities at bus stops on the existing cycle network.

· Continuation of the Mass Transit Project and in particular the delivery and endorsement of the Sunshine Coast Mass Transit Options Analysis. The State Government, through the Department of Transport and Main Roads, is establishing arrangements to progress the preparation of the Detailed Business Case for Sunshine Coast Mass Transit.

· Over 2,700 passenger trips and over 33,000 km travelled on the two Flexilink Services.

· 11,203 passenger trips on Council Link services.

· Continue to support the Kenilworth Community Transport Service which has grown to have 199 registered passengers, with 5 volunteer drivers.

· Delivery of the RideScore Active Schools program across nine selected Sunshine Coast Schools with 18,193 recorded trips and 1,400 students registered at the end of June 2022.

· The development of ThinkChange™, Council’s branded travel behaviour change program which has the primary objective of helping the Sunshine Coast identify ways that we can reduce car use and reduce how far we travel in our cars.

· Release of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Active Travel Map.

Officer Recommendation

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Transport Levy Annual Report 2021/22”

(b) note the Transport Levy Annual Report 2021/22 (Appendix A) for the purpose of promoting Transport Levy outcomes and

(c) acknowledge and thank the community groups and volunteers that have contributed to the delivery of the Transport Levy program outcomes over the 2021/22 financial year.

Finance and Resourcing

In 2021/22, the Transport Levy realised just over $6.5 million in revenue. An additional $395,516 of non-levy funding was also secured to support Transport Levy initiatives, in particular the delivery of built bus stop infrastructure and grants associated with the RideScore program.

Table 1 below provides an overview of the 2021/22 Transport Levy Program expenditure for each of the funding sub programs as of 30 June 2022 and dealing with year-end transactions.

Table 1 Transport Levy Program Expenditure as at 30 June 2022

	2021-2022 Actuals $
Transport Levy Revenue	6,548,279
Non-levy Fund Contributions	395,516
Total Revenue	6,943,795
Expenditure
Service Improvements	278,638
Infrastructure Assets	589,590
User Benefits	492,592
Research, planning and investigations	1,196,211
Transport Futures Fund	4,386,764
Total Expenditure	6,943,795

As at 30 June 2022, the Transport Futures Fund balance is $21,571,709 and the Externally Restricted Transport Levy Cash Reserve is $873,024 reflecting unspent funds allocated.

The $4,386,764 directed to the Transport Futures Fund in 2021/22 is made up of an initial contribution at the beginning of 2021/22 and accumulation of any unexpended funds in the year. This represents 67% of the collected Transport Levy revenue which align with the policy requirement of about 60%.

The Transport Levy Annual Report 2021/22 has been graphically designed internally to report to Council and the community. It will be available on Council’s website for access and download.

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our strong community.

Outcome: 1.2 - Vibrant community places and spaces that are inclusive, accessible and adaptable.

Operational Activity: 1.2.1 - Coordinate the delivery of Council’s Transport Levy policy and projects including encouraging sustainable travel choices through travel behaviour change programs and connecting our local communities by supporting transport services such as Council Link, Flexilink and Kenilworth Community Transport Service.

Consultation

Councillor Consultation

· Councillor R Baberowski – Portfolio Councillor, Community

· Councillor D Law – Portfolio Councillor, Community

Internal Consultation

Consultation with representatives from the following areas of Council was undertaken in preparing the Transport Levy Annual Report 2021/22 and this agenda report:

· Group Executive, Built Infrastructure

· Transport Infrastructure Management, Built Infrastructure

· Community Planning and Development, Economic and Community Development

· Financial Services, Business Performance

· Transport and Infrastructure Planning, Customer and Planning Services

· Urban Growth Projects, Customer and Planning Services

· Communications, Business Performance.

External Consultation

There has been no external consultation undertaken in relation to this report.

Community Engagement

There has been no community engagement undertaken in relation to this report.

Proposal

The Transport Levy Policy aims to provide a basis for improving the Sunshine Coast’s strategic transport network and supporting its users. The Transport Levy also provides Council with the opportunity to improve strategic transport needs of the Sunshine Coast of today as well as achieving major, long-term, multi-modal infrastructure outcomes.

The Transport Levy Program initiatives are compiled under five sub-programs:

1. Service improvements – Investigating and trialling improved public transport options and alternatives.

2. Infrastructure assets – Improving public transport infrastructure across the Sunshine Coast Council area.

3. User benefits – Developing initiatives to educate, inform, assist and improve the travel behaviour of users and their choices of travel mode.

4. Research, planning and investigations – Building our knowledge and progressing strategic outcomes (monitoring, research, planning and forecasting).

5. Transport Futures Fund – Support efforts to secure other Government investment in strategic transport needs for the region. This does not include subsidising current or proposed public transport services contracted by the State.

The implementation of initiatives under these five sub-programs involves numerous Groups across the organisation including Business Performance, Built Infrastructure, Economic & Community Development and Liveability & Natural Assets.

In 2021-2022 the Transport Levy had a number of achievements including:

· Infrastructure assets - In 2021/22, $589,590 from the Transport Levy was utilised to continue Council's bus stop infrastructure program. Under this program, 25 bus stops across the Sunshine Coast were completed, comprising a mix of new shelters on high patronaged stops frequented by seniors, and bike parking facilities at bus stops on the existing cycle network. Funding assistance was also received from the Queensland Government to support Council's bus stop infrastructure program.

· Research, planning and investigations - Continuation of the Mass Transit Project and in particular the delivery and endorsement of the Sunshine Coast Mass Transit Options Analysis. The Options Analysis considered a wide range of options for delivering a mass transit system to serve the concentration of population in the urban corridor from Maroochydore to Caloundra (focusing on a first stage in the northern part of the corridor) and produced a refined range of options to be further investigated in the Detailed Business Case. The report was finalised in October 2021 after considering the feedback received during the extensive community engagement process conducted in the previous financial year.

The State Government, through the Department of Transport and Main Roads, is establishing arrangements to progress the preparation of the Detailed Business Case for Sunshine Coast Mass Transit. The Department of Transport and Main Roads is in the process of commissioning project management services to program and implement the various components of the Detailed Business Case. As a partner in the Detailed Business Case, Council is working with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to determine the basis on which the partnership will proceed. Infrastructure Australia has included Sunshine Coast Mass Transit in its 2022 Infrastructure Priority List for consideration as part of an Early Stage Proposal for Sunshine Coast transport connectivity – Caloundra-Maroochydore.

· Service Improvements - The Flexilink services provide an affordable, reliable and accessible public transport option for people with limited public transport options. There were over 2,700 passenger trips and over 33,000km travelled on the two Flexilink Services.

· Service Improvements - The Council Link program provides an important service by improving community connectedness and reducing social isolation. There were over 11,200 passenger trips on Council Link services.

· Service Improvements – Council continued to support the Kenilworth Community Transport Service which provides affordable, reliable and accessible community transport options to residents of the Kenilworth region who have limited transport options. The service has grown to have 199 registered passengers, with five volunteer drivers.

· User Benefits - Delivery of the RideScore Active Schools program in partnership with We Ride Australia across nine selected Sunshine Coast Schools in February 2022, with 1,400 students registered at the end of June 2022. Using smart phone and Bluetooth beacon technology, parents receive real-time notifications on the arrival and departure of their children riding and scooting to and from school. Children receive points for each of their recorded trips, and rewards are offered at certain milestones. 18,193 cycling and scooting trips by RideScore participants have been recorded since the program launch in late February 2022.

· User Benefits - The development of ThinkChange™, Council’s branded travel behaviour change program, is a key action item of the Integrated Transport Strategy. ThinkChange is a commitment, by Council, to work with the community to identify and implement different ways we can all make changes so that we have less congestion and better liveability on the Sunshine Coast. Five pilot initiatives have been developed under ThinkChange and will be progressed to delivery in 2022/23.

· User Benefits - Release of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Active Travel Map.

Legal

There are no known legal implications to this report.

Policy

The publication of the Transport Levy Annual Report aligns with and supports the Transport Levy Policy and the Integrated Transport Strategy.

Integrated Transport Strategy

Objective 1: Connected and Integrated – An integrated transport system that connects people and places, supports future growth and serves the economy.

Strategy 1 – Connected passenger transport network

Strategy 2 – Integrated transport and land use

Objective 2: Smart and Sustainable – A transport system that provides increased travel choice and mobility across the region and is adaptable to emerging technologies and new business models.

Strategy 3 – A more healthy and active region

Strategy 4 – Changing our travel behaviour

Strategy 5 – Smart mobility for the future

Objective 3: Safe and Efficient – People and goods enjoy safe, reliable and convenient travel within an efficient transport system.

Strategy 6 – A safe, efficient and sustainable road and freight network.

Risk

There are no identified risks associated with this report. The annual communication of the Transport Levy Program achievements will ensure that the wider community and key stakeholders are aware of the outcomes achieved through the application of the Transport Levy Policy.

Previous Council Resolution

Ordinary Meeting 10 November 2021 (OM21/104)

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Transport Levy Annual Report 2020/21” and

(b) note the Transport Levy Annual Report 2020/21 (Appendix A) for the purpose of promoting transport Levy outcomes.

Related Documentation

· Sunshine Coast Council Corporate Plan 2022-2026

· Sunshine Coast Council Operational Plan 2022/23

· Sunshine Coast Council Integrated Transport Strategy

· Transport Levy Policy

· Sunshine Coast Community Strategy 2019-2041.

Critical Dates

There are no critical dates that relate to this report.

Implementation

Should the recommendation be adopted by Council, the Chief Executive Officer will place the Transport Levy Annual Report 2021/22 (Appendix A) on Council’s web site and the Transport Levy Annual Report will be disseminated and communicated in consultation with Council’s Communication Branch.

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.4 Environment Levy Annual Report 2021/22

File No: Council meetings

Author: Coordinator Biodiversity & Waterways

Liveability & Natural Assets Group

Appendices: App a - Environment Levy Annual Report 2021/22............... 41 ⇩

purpose

The purpose of this report is to present the Environment Levy Annual Report 2021/22 to Council for consideration.

Executive Summary

The Environment Levy, generated by all rate payers, provides important funding that allows Council and the community to work together to deliver a range of strategic projects, programs and initiatives that contribute to the preservation and enhancement of our natural environment, in particular our biodiversity, waterways and wetlands and coastal areas.

As a requirement of the Strategic Environment Levy Policy, an Annual Report for the 2021/22 financial year has been prepared (Appendix A).

The annual report summarises the program’s $13.17 million investment under five messages that align with the Environment Levy’s tag line “Your Environment Levy in action” through:

· buying, protecting and enhancing environmentally significant land

· delivering on-ground environmental projects

· engaging and supporting the Sunshine Coast community

· building our knowledge (monitoring and research) and

· other environmental operational activities including invasive plant, animal and broader conservation estate management.

The delivery of the Environment Levy Program has supported the implementation of Council’s Environment and Liveability Strategy 2017 (the ELS) which is assisting to transform the Sunshine Coast to deliver a healthy environment and liveable Sunshine Coast in 2041. It is a key funding source for various Transformational Actions set out within the Environment and Liveability Strategy.

Some of the 2021/22 program highlights include:

· $5.67 million spent on purchasing 4 new properties adding approximately 165 hectares to Council’s reserve network

· $1.28 million managing land acquired through the Environment Levy

· $1.1 million invested into coastal protection works and dune rehabilitation

· $740,000 invested into invasive species research, action and community engagement

· $610,000 supporting 19 community groups through Environment Levy partnerships

· $325,000 awarded through Landholder Environment Grants to 103 private landholders

· $616,000 invested into building our knowledge through a range of research management and monitoring projects

The Environment Levy Annual Report 2021/22 has been graphically designed internally to report to Council and the community. It will be available on Council’s website for access and download.

Officer Recommendation

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Environment Levy Annual Report 2021/22”

(b) note the Environment Levy Annual Report 2021/22 (Appendix A) for the purpose of promoting Environment Levy outcomes and

(c) acknowledge and thank the community groups, landholders, students, teachers and volunteers that have contributed to the delivery of the Environment Levy program outcomes over the 2021/22 financial year.

Finance and Resourcing

In 2021/22, the Environment Levy generated approximately $11.95 million in revenue. The total expenditure in delivering the endorsed program was $13.17 million with $1.22 million drawn from the Environment Levy restricted cash to fund significant investment into strategic land acquisitions (as per the provisions of the Environment Levy Policy).

Table 1 provides an overview of the 2021/22 Environment Levy Program for each of the reporting themes.

Table 1: 2021/22 Environment Levy revenue and expenditure

	2021/22 Actuals
Revenue raised	$11,947,343
Restricted cash contribution	$1,218,723
Total	$13,166,066

Expenditure
Buying, protecting and enhancing environmentally significant land	$6,986,516
Delivering on-ground environmental projects	$615,681
Engaging and supporting the Sunshine Coast community	$1,421,519
Building our knowledge (monitoring and research)	$2,027,814
Other environmental operational activities	$2,114,536

Total Expenditure	$13,166,066

The restricted cash balance at October 2022 was approximately $1.07 million.

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our environment and liveability

Outcome: 2.2 - Protection and enhancement of our natural assets and distinctive landscapes.

Operational Activity: 2.2.1 - Coordinate the delivery of Council’s Environment Levy including the strategic land acquisition program and environment levy partnerships and grants.

Consultation

Councillor Consultation

· Councillor M Suarez – Portfolio Councillor, Environment and Liveability

· Councillor P Cox – Portfolio Councillor, Environment and Liveability

Internal Consultation

Consultation with Environment Levy project managers, finance officers and the Integrated Environment Team has occurred in preparing the Environment Levy Annual Report 2021/22.

External Consultation

There has been no external consultation undertaken in relation to this report.

Community Engagement

No community engagement has been undertaken in relation to this report.

Proposal

The Sunshine Coast Council Environment Levy allows Council to invest in the protection, enhancement and sustainable use of the region’s biodiversity, waterways and wetlands, and coastal areas.

Coordination and implementation of the annual Environment Levy Program is overseen by the Environment and Sustainability Policy Branch, in conjunction with project managers across Council and the Integrated Environment Team.

In 2021/22, the Program’s $13.17 million investment has been summarised under five messages that align with the Environment Levy’s tag line “Your Environment Levy in action”:

· Buying, protecting and enhancing environmentally significant land

· Delivering on-ground environmental projects

· Engaging and supporting the Sunshine Coast community

· Building our knowledge (monitoring and research) and

· Other environmental operational activities.

Program delivery has supported the implementation of Council’s Environment and Liveability Strategy 2017 (ELS) which is assisting to transform the Sunshine Coast to deliver a healthy environment and liveable Sunshine Coast in 2041. The Environment Levy Program outcomes have been summarised under a number of the Environment and Liveability Strategy’s Transformational Actions.

Connecting nature and people

Connecting our valued habitat areas to support our native flora and fauna and providing the community with opportunities to participate in conservation and to experience the natural environment.

The Environment Levy has supported the acquisition of lands to expand the conservation estate and delivered a successful partnerships and grants program to engage and support the community in their conservation efforts.

Achievements include:

· $5.67 million spent on purchasing 4 new properties, contributing approximately 165 hectares to Council’s 7,864 hectare owned and/or managed reserve network, of which more than 4000 hectares has been secured through the Environment Levy.

· $1.28 million managing land acquired through the Environment Levy.

· $610,000 supporting 19 Environment Levy-partnership groups and almost $10,000 provided in grants to community-based organisations.

· 4 new Voluntary Conservation Agreements bringing the total to 92 properties, protecting 1425 hectares.

· $325,000 awarded through Landholder Environment Grants to 103 private landholders.

· More than 22,500 seedlings and 87 nest boxes for Land for Wildlife members.

Stopping the brown from coming down

Partnering with rural, urban and development industries to reduce the impacts of sediment, nutrients and pollutants on waterway health.

The Environment Levy has invested in improving the health of our catchments and waterways in engaging, educating and supporting the community and industry in fostering sustainable practices through improved erosion and sediment control.

Achievements include:

· $220,000 invested into erosion and sediment control for waterways improvement and protection.

· Establishment of the first Regional Erosion & Sediment, Education & Trial facility - a purpose-built education facility to build knowledge, skills and capacity in erosion and sediment control practices.

· More than 500 sites visited by the Construction Management and Waterway Protection Taskforce to foster best practice in construction management through improved erosion and sediment control.

Healthy coast

Providing a strategic and coordinated approach to the protection, sustainable use and enjoyment of our dunes, beaches, rocky shores and near-shore marine waters.

The Environment Levy has continued to support a proactive approach to coastal management in delivering healthy, resilient, and usable coastal areas.

Achievements include:

· More than $1.1 million invested to support biodiversity and scenic amenity of our coastal reserves through dune rehabilitation and shoreline erosion management.

· Almost 300 hectares managed through the coastal foreshore network.

· Continued investment in the development of the region’s first Coastal Health Report—the first coast-wide assessment of the environmental condition and use of our beaches, headlands, lower estuaries, and coastal lagoons.

Expanding the green space

Securing and activating space for future generations through accelerated strategic land programs to improve conservation, flood mitigation and sport and recreation opportunities.

Environment Levy has supported initiatives in planning, research, and activation of our major greenspace areas.

· $68,000 in ecological (flora and fauna) and hydrologic studies to inform management and planning for the Blue Heart Sunshine Coast and Lower Mooloolah River Greenspace areas.

Managing our invasive plants and animals

Providing a collaborative, effective and efficient response to the management of invasive plants and animals to reduce their social, economic and environmental impacts.

The Environment Levy has continued to support the delivery of invasive plant and animal management activities in accordance with the Sunshine Coast Local Government Area Biosecurity Plan 2017 (the Plan).

Achievements include:

· Commenced a 3-year Weed Management Pilot Program including trialling of new technologies, establishment of an Invasive Weeds Taskforce, and delivery of weed management demonstration sites

· $339,000 to fund invasive plant and animal officer positions to support the delivery of the Plan.

· Innovative mapping and treatment of target terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants with a drone across 100Ha at 5 sites.

· $126,000 invested into community engagement on biosecurity issues and to support on-ground pest actions.

· $40,000 invested into the restoration of endangered riparian rainforest through the control of the invasive weed Cat’s claw creeper on the North Maroochy River.

An involved community

A major engagement program to inspire and empower the community to value the environment and play their part in a liveable, sustainable and resilient future.

The Environment Levy has continued to support a range of community engagement and education projects to foster an involved community – one that values the environment and has the capacity to contribute towards the liveability, sustainability and resilience of the Sunshine Coast.

Achievements include:

· 340 students from 20 schools were engaged through the Kids in Action Program - exploring the theme of Catchment Connections: Mountains to the Sea. The program seeks to build environmental knowledge and understanding, whilst inspiring and providing opportunities for positive environmental and sustainability action.

· More than 200 attendees at the 2021 conservation forum - engaging volunteers on environmental issues and management approaches in working towards a sustainable future.

· Almost 1,400 community members engaged in coastal education via the Coastal Education Van at 17 events.

Building our knowledge

Enabling evidence-based decisions for a healthy environment and liveable Sunshine Coast.

The Environment Levy supports a range of targeted monitoring, modelling, research, and other data collection activities to inform evidence-based decision making, and current and future management actions.

Achievements include:

· A total investment of $134,000 into shorebird, flying fox, koala and macropod research and conservation planning.

· Continued investment of $135,000 into the monitoring of the Pumicestone, Upper Stanley, Mooloolah and Maroochy River catchments through the Healthy Land and Waterways Partnership.

Legal

There are no legal implications to this report.

Policy

Council’s Corporate Plan 2022-2026 advances our vision for the Sunshine Coast as Australia’s most sustainable region - Healthy. Smart. Creative. The plan identifies the goal for ‘our environment and liveability’ – our natural assets, healthy environment and liveability credentials are maintained and enhanced.

The Environment Levy Program is a key funding source for the implementation of the Sunshine Coast Environment and Liveability Strategy 2017 which provides the long-term strategic direction in response to this goal.

Risk

The annual communication of the Environment Levy Program achievements will assist to make the wider community and key stakeholders aware of the outcomes achieved by Council and the community volunteers through the Program.

Previous Council Resolution

Ordinary Meeting 10 November 2021 (OM21/103)

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Environment Levy Annual Report 2020/21”

(b) note the Environment Levy Annual Report 2020/21 (Appendix A) for the purpose of promoting Environment Levy outcomes and

(c) acknowledge and thank the community groups, landholders, students, teachers and volunteers that have contributed to the delivery of the Environment Levy program outcomes for 2020 – 2021.

Related Documentation

Ÿ Sunshine Coast Council Corporate Plan 2022-2026

Ÿ Sunshine Coast Environment and Liveability Strategy 2017

Ÿ Sunshine Coast Local Government Area Biosecurity Plan 2017

Ÿ Sunshine Coast Council Environment Levy Policy

Critical Dates

There are no critical dates that relate to this report.

Implementation

The dissemination and promotion of the Annual Report will be undertaken in consultation with the Communication Branch.

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.5 Cultural Heritage Levy Annual Report 2021/22

File No: Council Meetings

Author: Coordinator Cultural Heritage Services

Economic & Community Development Group

Appendices: App a - Heritage Levy Annual Report 2021-22...................... 55 ⇩

purpose

The purpose of this report is to present the Cultural Heritage Levy Annual Report 2021/22 to Council.

Executive Summary

The Cultural Heritage Levy (Heritage Levy) is used to document, research, conserve, protect, promote and provide access to those tangible and intangible items, places, facilities and events that define the stories, history and values of the people, communities and culture of the Sunshine Coast.

The Heritage Levy, which is generated by all ratepayers, plays an important role in enabling Council to deliver the Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031 (Heritage Plan) and ensures that Council effectively manages and conserves the region’s heritage assets.

The annual Heritage Levy Program, aligned to the Heritage Plan and guided by the Heritage Levy Policy, delivers a range of projects under the five outcome areas of Knowledge, Conservation, Support, Communication, and Advocacy – all aimed at supporting the Heritage Plan’s vision: our heritage is our gift for the future.

In 2021/22, the Heritage Levy amount of $13 per rateable property raised $1,934,719, which enabled Council to deliver a suite of programs under the Heritage Plan outcomes.

The 2021/22 Heritage Levy Program achieved:

· $20,000 for the inaugural Historian in Residence program, with two research topics: mapping First Nations sites; and sporting history since 1901

· $210,000 for research into regional stories, digitisation of significant regional collections, and engaging our community with heritage through digital stories and online content

· $135,000 invested in the conservation of the region’s heritage assets including State heritage-listed Landsborough Shire Council Chambers (Landsborough Museum), with its collection of over 14,000 objects; and State heritage-listed Bankfoot House, with its nationally significant collection

· $115,000 to support the region’s community museums and historical societies through practical workshops, professional development, community programs, collaborative marketing and events

· $105,000 to support regional heritage programs and events, including the annual Heritage Symposium, Sunshine Coast Open House and the Horizon Festival

· $25,000 to support cultural heritage projects developed in collaboration with Kabi Kabi Peoples, Jinibara Peoples and Descendants of Australian South Sea Islander peoples

· Over $165,000 provided through grants programs to support First Nations groups, community museums and historical societies, and

· Endorsement of the Strategic Policy – Arts and Heritage Levy 2022 in June 2022.

It is important to note that this financial year the Cultural Heritage Collection managed by Council grew significantly with the donation of more than 14,000 objects as part of a new arrangement for the Landsborough Museum. The operation of the museum and its significant collection was accepted by Council at the request of the Landsborough and District Historical Society in November 2021, after the society stated it may be forced to fold due to falling volunteer numbers.

Officer Recommendation

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Cultural Heritage Levy Annual Report 2021/22”,

(b) note the Cultural Heritage Levy Annual Report 2021/22 (Appendix A) for the purpose of promoting Heritage Levy outcomes, and

(c) acknowledge and thank the volunteers of the region’s community museums, heritage associations and groups that have contributed to the delivery of the Heritage Levy program outcomes for 2021/22.

Finance and Resourcing

In 2021/22, the Heritage Levy generated $1,934,719 in revenue.

Table 1 provides an overview of the Heritage Levy Program revenue and expenditure for each of the funding sub-programs as at 30 June 2022.

Table 1: 2021/22 Heritage Levy actuals (revenue and expenditure) as at 30 June 2022

Revenue	2021/22 Actuals
Heritage Levy Revenue	$1,934,719
Heritage Calendar Sales	$2,435
Donations (cash)	$570
Restricted Cash Funding	$215,750
Total Revenue	$2,153,474

Expenditure by Outcome (Heritage Plan 2021-31)	2021/22 Actuals
Knowledge	$97,840
Conservation	$422,232
Support	$363,682
Communication	$212,371
Levy Management	$266,379

Restricted Cash Funds (Heritage Levy Policy)
Built Heritage Conservation Fund	$33,794
Heritage Levy Futures Fund	$757,176
Total Actual Expenditure	$2,153,474

Table 2 provides the balances for the restricted cash funds as at 30 June 2022.

Table 2: 2021/22 Heritage Levy Restricted Cash Balances as at 30 June 2022

Restricted Cash	Balance
Heritage Levy (unallocated Levy funding prior to the establishment of the Heritage Levy Futures Fund)	$339,754
Built Heritage Conservation Fund	$128,938
Heritage Levy Futures Fund (established 2016/17)	$4,111,558
Total Restricted Cash	$4,580,250

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our strong community.

Outcome: 1.5 - Creative and innovative approaches to building a strong community.

Operational Activity: 1.5.3 - Develop the annual Heritage Levy program to support the implementation of priority activities and projects identified in the Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031 including: next stage planning for the Sunshine Coast Regional Collection Store, delivery of activation events for Bankfoot House and the Landsborough Museum, building the capacity of the region’s network of heritage community organisations, and support to First Nations priority projects.

Consultation

Councillor Consultation

· Councillor R Baberowski - Portfolio Councillor, Community

Internal Consultation

· Finance Branch

External Consultation

There has been no external consultation in relation to this report.

Community Engagement

There has been no community consultation undertaken in relation to this report.

Proposal

The Cultural Heritage Levy (Heritage Levy) enables Council to invest in, and make accessible to the community, the research, conservation, protection, promotion and interpretation of those tangible and intangible items, places, facilities and events that define the stories, history and values of the people, communities and culture of the Sunshine Coast.

Specifically, the Heritage Levy is used to achieve Council’s vision for heritage in the region “Our heritage is our gift for the future”, as identified in the Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031 (Heritage Plan), and its five key heritage outcome areas: Knowledge, Conservation, Support, Communication and Advocacy.

Coordination and delivery of the annual Heritage Levy Program is overseen by the Cultural Heritage Services Team within the Arts, Heritage and Libraries Branch, and is developed annually to align with the five outcome areas of the Heritage Plan and is endorsed by Council as part of its annual budget deliberations.

The Cultural Heritage Levy Annual Report 2021/22 (Appendix A) summarises the key achievements under the five Heritage Plan Outcome areas:

Knowledge

Heritage, its value and significance to the Sunshine Coast community, is comprehensively identified, researched, recorded and shared.

Projects included:

· $20,000 for the inaugural Historian in Residence program. Two professional Historians appointed and projects completed - Mapping First Nations Sites on the Sunshine Coast and Sporting History Since 1901 in the Region. Four public consultation sessions were held, with three additional public programs delivered.

· $43,400 for the ongoing digitisation of significant regional collections, including over 8000 items from the Bill Robinson collection. This project includes making these collections more accessible online, linked to a searchable platform.

· $34,400 utilised for ongoing improvements and training for the Collections database to improve visitor experience and search functions.

· The acquisition of the Landsborough Museum collection has added over 14,000 objects to Council’s Cultural Heritage Collection.

Conservation

Best practice conservation management and innovative solutions protect and conserve the Sunshine Coast’s natural and cultural heritage for current and future generations.

Best practice projects included:

· Projects aligned to the Conservation Management Plans at Bankfoot House have been delivered:

o Repainting of Bankfoot House completed in an appropriate heritage colour scheme (funded by Property Management)

o Bankfoot House Paths and Patio Project (funded from Restricted Cash of $215,750 this financial year):

§ Reconstruction of deteriorated garden elements (grape trellis, 1935 timber clothesline)

§ Addition of a patio to the Mary Grigor Centre to optimise public programming, and

§ A network of connected pathways for improved accessibility across the state heritage listed precinct.

· Operational and programming costs of $83,700, including educational resources and additional display cases at Bankfoot House

· Council accepted the collection and operation of Landsborough Museum, one of the largest community museums in Southeast Queensland, including its collection of more than 14,000 objects

· Conservation and facility planning for Landsborough Museum at a cost of $44,000, with a series of operational management reports (on the building, the collection and the exhibitions) completed or close to completion

· Ongoing improvements to collection management and storage of artefacts in the Cultural Heritage Collection at a cost of $25,500 (see also Collection Store project below), and

· Built Heritage Conservation Fund - $43,500 utilised for the Caloundra Lighthouse rehabilitation works. The remaining $33,794 moved into the corresponding restricted cash at the end of the financial year.

Support

Provide opportunities to stimulate understanding, activation and appreciation of the region’s cultural heritage.

Projects included:

· $65,000 in professional development and support programs were delivered for local museums and the heritage sector, through workshops, hands-on skills sessions and access to expert advice.

o Workshop topics included deaccessioning, conservation, strategic planning, and exhibitions.

o External industry professionals completed Significance Assessment Reports and Preservation Needs Assessment Reports for a number of community museums. These will help groups prioritise and plan for the future.

· $20,000 to commence the Collection Store project with consultants appointed and stakeholder engagement sessions completed. This project will be finalised in 2022/23 (additional $178,142) with a Situation Analysis Report completed, proposed site selected, assessed and concept designs developed.

· The Heritage Levy funded the following Community Grants programs:

o $25,000 in Cultural Support Programs to support projects developed by Kabi Kabi Peoples, Jinibara Peoples, and Descendants of Australian South Sea Islander peoples.

o $103,400 in the Community Partnership Funding Program (16 organisations).

o $30,926 in the Events and Exhibitions Program (five projects).

o $30,739 in the Collection Care Program, (five projects).

o A total of over $190,000 in grants provided to the community.

· $39,700 in interpretive projects were delivered, including a series of digital stories: “Allure of the Beach”, celebrating the importance of ocean and beach culture; and collaborative films with Placemaking, capturing local stories in Woombye and Eumundi. Caloundra Regional Gallery utilised Cultural Heritage Collection objects and digital stories for a number of exhibitions, and

· $50,500 in community events and programs including First Nations Family Fun Day at Bankfoot House, annual Heritage Symposium, collaborative film screenings for Reconciliation Week and at local film festivals, and Sunshine Coast Open House (sponsorship).

Other achievements:

· 71 events and public programs, with over 8500 attendees including Museum Mystery Madness (pilot school holiday program across the region), Historian in Residence, Heritage Talks, Sconetime, and Sector Development Programs

· 3778 visitors to Bankfoot House, including 877 school students engaging with our curriculum aligned education programs

· 34 digital programs, including Zoom/Teams workshops and online exhibitions, with 652 attendees, and

· 107,989 visits to the Heritage website.

Communication

Increased visibility of heritage to strengthen community identity, resilience, and awareness of Sunshine Coast’s cultural heritage.

Achievements included:

· Regional Heritage Discovery Guide reprinted, and associated marketing campaign developed and promoted at several business/tourism events.

· $2000 for the Cultural Heritage Prize, awarded through a sponsorship agreement with the University of the Sunshine Coast. Four student prizes ($500 each) awarded annually.

· $22,000 for two internship positions provided through Council’s My Summer Workplace Program.

· $85,000 for the Dicky Beach interpretive project, in partnership with Council’s Parks and Gardens branch.

· Additional interpretive projects in Woombye, Eumundi, Coolum Beach, Maleny Library and Landsborough.

Levy Management/Advocacy

Key decision makers have an increased awareness and appreciation of the region’s diverse heritage

The Cultural Heritage Services Team consists of four Full Time Equivalent staff. Their responsibilities include management of key programs relating to sector development; heritage and community grants and marketing, managing Bankfoot House including running tours, programming, and volunteers, managing Council owned heritage collections and built heritage project support.

The Cultural Heritage Services team worked with other areas of Council, government and community groups to provide advice for a number of heritage listed places and projects including:

· Dicky Beach interpretive project

· Landsborough Museum

· Point Cartwright and La Balsa Parks Master Planning

· Eumundi Museum

· Buderim Pioneer Cottage

· Montville Memorial Gates

· Caloundra Lighthouses

As per the Heritage Levy Policy:

· $77,294 (4%) of the Heritage Levy for 2021/22 was allocated to maintenance programs for heritage listed, Council owned, community leased properties through the Heritage Levy restricted fund – Built Heritage Conservation Fund. $43,500 was spent on the Caloundra Lighthouse rehabilitation project, and the remaining $33,794 moved into the corresponding restricted cash at the end of the financial year (see Conservation above).

· Over $637,000 (33%) allocated to the Heritage Levy Futures Fund to support a Regional Collections Store and Interpretive Facility:

o A $200,000 project to investigate land/site options, further development of the business case and concept designs has commenced and will be completed in 2022/23. An initial $20,000 was allocated to the project in 2021/22.

· Any unspent Heritage Levy funding has been allocated to the Heritage Levy Futures Fund at the end of the financial year. This equated to $757,176 in 2021/22.

Challenges and Conclusion

Throughout the 2021/22 financial year, several planned programs and events were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, localised flooding and resourcing issues.

Despite the challenges, a number of successful and engaging heritage initiatives were delivered.

In June 2022 the proposed Arts and Heritage Levy was endorsed by Council as part of the annual budget. The associated amendments to the strategic policy, now known as the Arts and Heritage Levy Policy, were also endorsed at this time. These provide a framework for managing the Levy and its broader scope.

From 2022/23:

· The Arts Levy program is based on $3/rateable property and is aligned to the Sunshine Coast Arts Plan 2018-2038.

· The Heritage Levy program remains at $13/rateable property and is aligned to the Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031.

It is intended that the Cultural Heritage Levy Annual Report 2021/22 (Appendix A) be made available on the Heritage website.

Legal

There are no legal implications relevant to this report.

Policy

The Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031 and the Heritage Levy Policy provide strategic direction and structure for the Heritage Levy.

The Heritage Levy is the key funding source for the implementation of the 10-year plan.

The annual Heritage Levy Program is developed in alignment with these documents and is endorsed by Council as part of the budget process.

Risk

The Heritage Levy Policy does not stipulate the requirement to develop an annual report. However, communication of the annual Heritage Levy Program achievements ensures that Council, the community and key stakeholders, including the heritage sector and its many volunteers, are aware of the outcomes achieved by Council through the Heritage Levy.

Previous Council Resolution

Ordinary Meeting 25 February 2021 (OM21/11)

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031”

(b) adopt the “Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031” (Appendix A) and

(c) authorise the Chief Executive Officer to make necessary minor administrative amendments to finalise the “Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031” to allow for final editing and publication.

Related Documentation

· Sunshine Coast Council Corporate Plan 2021-2025

· Sunshine Coast Community Strategy 2019-2041

· Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031

· Strategic Policy – Heritage Levy 2021

· Strategic Policy – Arts and Heritage Levy 2022

Critical Dates

There are no critical dates that relate to this report.

Implementation

Should the recommendation be endorsed by Council, the Heritage Levy Annual Report will be promoted in consultation with the Communication Branch.

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.6 Landsborough Museum - Management Report

File No: D2022

Author: Coordinator Cultural Heritage Services

Economic & Community Development Group

Attachments: Att 1 - Landsborough Museum Preservation Needs Assessment (Extract only) 71 ⇩

Att 2 - Landsborough Museum Facility Development Asset Management Plan (Extract only).............................................................................. 89 ⇩

Att 3 - Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan (Extract only) 97 ⇩

purpose

This report responds to the resolution of Council on 10 November 2021 (OM21/113) which requires the Chief Executive Officer to prepare a document addressing the operational planning for Landsborough Museum by November 2022 including:

i. a specific management strategy for the accepted community collection (Landsborough Museum Preservation Needs Assessment, Attachment 1), and

ii. a facility management strategy within the context of the Heritage Precinct Strategy and the 15-year Masterplan for Landsborough (Landsborough Museum Facility Development Asset Management Plan, Attachment 2), and

iii. an exhibitions development strategy (Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan, Attachment 3), and present this report to Council by 30 November 2022.

Executive Summary

At the Ordinary Meeting held on 10 November 2021 (OM21/113), Council endorsed a recommendation to accept the donation of the Landsborough Museum community collection from the Landsborough and District Historical Society and to support a governance model to enable Council to manage and operate Landsborough Museum.

Earlier this year, Landsborough Museum (the Museum) was formally handed over to Council and a further agreement signed with the Landsborough and District Historical Society for its members to provide ongoing research support via a Memorandum of Understanding.

The Museum operates out of the 1924 Landsborough Shire Council Chambers building, which is owned by Council and is state heritage listed (Queensland Heritage Register 601915), with historical, aesthetic and social significance.

A recent Conservation Management Plan (2019) provides a framework for managing this significant building. The building and the associated outbuildings sit adjacent to the former Landsborough Depot and are within the Landsborough Heritage Precinct identified in the Landsborough Placemaking Master Plan endorsed by Council at its Ordinary Meeting held on 30 January 2020 (OM20/4).

In response to the resolution of Council at the 10 November 2021 Ordinary Meeting (OM21/113), this report provides Council with three operational planning documents:

i. Landsborough Museum Preservation Needs Assessment (Attachment 1) to guide the preservation of the collection, and

ii. Landsborough Museum Facility Development Asset Management Plan (Attachment 2) to guide the immediate repair of the building by addressing basic workplace health and safety requirements and issues of building compliance, deterioration and accessibility, and

iii. Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan (Attachment 3) to identify how it can be best interpreted.

It is noted that the Landsborough Museum Facility Development Asset Management Plan (Attachment 2) prepared by consultants Stantec (formerly Cardno), identified a range of issues with the buildings that house the Museum and its collection. These issues of compliance, specifically as it relates to fire and electrical safety, will need to be addressed by Council in the immediate future. In consultation with the Property Management Branch, priority items will be addressed with the available budget in 2022/23 and/or referred to the 2023/24 budget process for Council’s consideration. Longer term issues will be referred to the ten year capital budget program.

The Landsborough Museum Preservation Needs Assessment (Attachment 1) and Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan (Attachment 3) will be considered as part of the planning for the annual Arts and Heritage Levy funded program, which is presented to Council as part of the annual budget process.

Officer Recommendation

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Landsborough Museum - Management Report”

(b) note that a request to develop a long term strategic plan for Landsborough Museum will be included in the Arts and Heritage Levy Program for consideration in the 2023/24 budget process, and

(c) note that costs associated with building safety and compliance of Landsborough Museum will be addressed with the available budget in 2022/23, or through the 2023/24 budget process, and longer term issues will be referred to the ten year capital budget program.

Finance and Resourcing

The Landsborough Museum Facility Development Asset Management Plan (the Plan) (Attachment 2) provides a 15-year capital renewal outlook and has identified a number of significant priority issues facing the Landsborough Museum building specifically relating to fire and electrical safety.

The Plan identified the overall condition of the Landsborough Museum building as Fair to Poor from inspections undertaken on 18 May 2022 and 24 August 2022, and a level of investment is likely to be required to bring the building up to Council’s expectations of a public visitor site, and hence, provide an acceptable level of service.

The Facility - Short term

The Plan identifies a budget of approximately $243,000 will be required to address the priority issues of the building over the next 12-18 months.

Table 1: 2022-2024 Priority Issues

Financial Year	Budget and description	Funding source
2022/23	Safety and compliance issues: Electrical switchboards and meter upgrades $56,000 Fire detection, egress measures and signage upgrades $47,000 Total $103,000	Combination of existing and additional budget
	Staff Workplaces (up to Council standard): Staff wifi and network $15,000 Air conditioning $36,000 - $42,000 (TBC) Total $50,000	Combination of existing and additional budget
2023/24	Safety and compliance issues: Balustrade and stairs $20,000 Internal ramp $50,000 PWD toilets $20,000 Total $90,000	To be determined through normal budget development process

The Facility - Medium to long term

The Plan, in looking at the long-term capital renewal program – provides three models for consideration. These are summarised below.

Table 2: 2022-2038 Spend per Financial Modelling Scenario (Source: Facility Development Asset Management Report, Extract, Table 1.4)

Scenario	2022 - 2026	2027 - 2031	2032 - 2036	2036+	Total
Scenario 1 Total	$536,070	$442,445	$256,675	$162,615	$1,397,805
Scenario 2 Total	$960,570	$460,445	$256,675	$162,615	$1,840,305
Scenario 3 Total	$1,432,065	$116,475	$245,900	$84,865	$1,879,305

· Scenario 1 – Run to fail and safety improvements – assets are replaced on a like for like basis on reaching condition rating of “5-Very Poor” (equivalent to end of asset life).

· Scenario 2 – Scenario 1 plus functionality improvements – as identified upon inspection or via stakeholder engagement.

· Scenario 3 – Scenario 2 plus additional functional and safety improvements to maintain an overall condition rating of “2-Good”. The impact of this scenario is moving a number of renewal activities into earlier years.

Arts, Heritage and Libraries Branch will now work with Property Management Branch to review the Plan in detail with works to be prioritised and included in Council’s annual budget process, including the 10-year capital works program within the context of maintaining a Council owned and managed facility.

Levy funded

Council’s Arts and Heritage Levy currently generates over $1.9 million annually for Heritage Programs and is the key funding source for the delivery of the Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031.

The Heritage Levy Program, presented annually for endorsement as part of Council’s annual financial planning processes, identified $60,000 for Landsborough Museum in 2022/23. This allocation was based on previous expenditure at Council’s other heritage offering - Bankfoot House (a house museum and interpretive centre at the Glass House Mountains) and is intended to focus on operational and programming deliverables.

A further $30,000 was allocated to manage Council’s heritage collections held at both at Bankfoot House and Landsborough Museum.

The Landsborough Museum Preservation Needs Assessment (Attachment 1) identifies a series of threats to the collections held within Landsborough Museum and outlines a series of recommendations and interim measures. In the main, these relate to the development and implementation of appropriate collection management measures, policies and procedures; and a program of training, cleaning, rehousing, and monitoring of collections.

Many of these recommendations can be addressed by the Arts and Heritage Levy 2022/23 heritage program (Heritage Collection) budget.

Ongoing, the Landsborough Museum Preservation Needs Assessment recommendations will be considered in the development of the annual Arts and Heritage Levy funded program.

The Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan (Attachment 3) outlines a series of improvements to the Museum’s exhibitions and to the structure and flow of the visitor experience.

For the next three years, these are largely cosmetic and/or aesthetic changes but will have a dramatic visual impact without significant costs.

The Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan will inform ongoing short and long-term planning for the Museum as will:

i. The Regional Collection Store (currently the subject of a feasibility planning process) particularly as it relates to the museum’s capacity to manage the heritage collection.

ii. the outcomes of the stakeholder engagement program to be rolled out as part of the Landsborough Heritage Precinct Master planning process to be undertaken in 2024/25.

iii. the proposed Queensland Government’s rail duplication project.

All of these projects may impact significantly on the site noting that in the case of projects ii) and iii) the impacts will be on the feasibility of growing the Museum’s offering.

Other funding sources

It is important to note that the Landsborough and District Historical Society, whose members actively volunteer at the Museum, are also proactively sourcing grant funding for exhibition projects in support of the Interpretation Plan. The continuation of the Landsborough and District Historical Society as an incorporated entity separate to Council enables the organisation to apply for external grants.

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our strong community.

Outcome: 1.5 - Creative and innovative approaches to building a strong community.

Consultation

Councillor Consultation

Councillor R Baberowski - Division 1 and Portfolio Councillor, Community

Internal Consultation

Group Executive, Economic and Community Development

Manager, Arts, Heritage and Libraries

Senior Management Accountant, Business Performance

Buildings and Facilities Asset Manager, Business Performance

Coordinator Placemaking, Liveability and Natural Assets

External Consultation

The committee of the Landsborough and District Historical Society have been proactively involved in discussions with consultants and staff in the development of the Landsborough Museum Preservation Needs Assessment (Attachment 1), Landsborough Museum Facility Development Asset Management Plan (Attachment 2), and Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan (Attachment 3).

Professionals in the fields of conservation, exhibitions, museums, and facility management were contracted to deliver and/or assist with these projects.

Community Engagement

No broad community engagement was undertaken.

Discussions in relation to this project have involved the primary stakeholders being Landsborough and District Historical Society and Council.

It is noted in this report that the delivery of the Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan should consider the Landsborough Heritage Precinct master planning process to be undertaken in 2024/25, and the proposed Queensland Government’s rail duplication project, and any stakeholder engagement already undertaken or proposed as part of these projects.

Proposal

In response to the resolution of Council at the 10 November 2021 Ordinary Meeting (OM21/113), this report provides Council with three operational planning documents:

i. Landsborough Museum Preservation Needs Assessment (Attachment 1) to guide the preservation of the collection, and

iii. Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan (Attachment 3) to identify how it can be best interpreted.

Landsborough Museum Preservation Needs Assessment (Attachment 1)

The Preservation Needs Assessment was prepared by a professional conservator and provides a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions and suggests the “collection is a significant repository of information of the Landsborough and surrounding region and its history. It is yet to reach its full potential due to space restrictions and lack of resources.”

The Preservation Needs Assessment identifies a series of threats to the collections held within Landsborough Museum, notably pests, mould, poor storage, a lack of climate control in storage and display, policy and procedural omissions or oversights, and the need for disaster planning and training.

The recommendations focus on incremental improvements that can be undertaken in the short-term, for the long-term preservation of the collection – and to align to best practice. These include improvements to exhibition and storage conditions (light levels, temperature, humidity, pests, mould); the development and implementation of appropriate collection management measures, policies and procedures; and a program of training, cleaning, rehousing, and monitoring of collections.

Council staff, supported by the passionate Landsborough and District Historical Society volunteers, are already working on many of these projects, and rationalising storage areas.

The Landsborough and District Historical Society is actively seeking external grant funding to assist with insulation of the collection storage areas and purchasing additional shelving.

Landsborough Museum Facility Development Asset Management Plan (Attachment 2)

This is Landsborough Museum’s first Facility Development Asset Management Plan and has been developed to articulate future development requirements and management of the site’s assets over the next 15-year horizon.

This includes requirements for refurbishment, maintenance, compliance, redevelopment upgrades and enhancements to facilitate the requirements of the Museum.

The Plan considers the overall condition of the Landsborough Museum as fair to poor. Of particular concern is the number of compliance, safety, and regulatory issues that the Plan identified. These issues are summarised in Table 3 below and will need to be addressed as soon as possible.

Table 3: Safety issues observed during inspection (Source: Facility Development and Asset Management Plan Report, Table 1.2)

Driver	Description	Location	Comments/ issues/actions
Electrical safety	Electrical wiring is exposed and running over wall/ceiling fixtures. There are also insufficient GPOs as many extension cords are in use.	Bicentennial Building – exhibition area Connection Building Workshop Buildings	The wiring is exposed in particular to water from roof leaks and condensation in the areas observed. Provide protection to exposed wiring, including under Heritage building. Install additional GPOs in all buildings Rewiring of the Bicentennial building is required.
	Switchboard in cupboard in one of the amenities is exposed to a gutter	Bicentennial Building – amenities	The switchboard is exposed to water overflowing from the gutter during heavy rain. Replace switchboard with waterproof board
	Staff close off the electricity to the building by closing down one of the circuits on the switchboard.	1924 Heritage Building	Staff are shutting down one circuit via switchboard when locking up the building (see safety issues) which is not good practice and closes off protection of devices on that circuit until it is restored. Replace switchboard
Fire Protection	Existing smoke detectors are battery operated	All areas	Replace battery operated smoke detectors with complaint hardwired devices.
Compliance with PWD (persons with disabilities) requirements	The toilets are not compliant with PWD requirements	Bicentennial Building – amenities	The amenity doors are of insufficient width and there are no aids for PWD inside the toilet cubicle itself e.g., handrails (AS1428.1-2019). Upgrade amenities to include PWD facilities
	Ramp for PWDs is not compliant	Connection Building	Ramp for wheelchair access to/from Heritage Building is not wide enough (circa 850mm) compared to required PWD clearance (1m) (AS1428.1-2019). The exit to low point is very close to adjacent stairway which is also not practical. Upgrade ramp.
Asbestos exposure	Asbestos manhole	1924 Heritage Building	Manhole through to attic from safe needs replacing. Asbestos manhole cover. Upgrade when condition reaches intervention criteria
Trip, slips and falls	Poor condition of stairs of original building entrance	1924 Heritage Building	The stairs up to the door of the building are in poor condition, are a safety risk and a rarely used as an entrance. More visitors enter from the deck via the concrete ramp. Repair or replace existing stairs
	Non-compliant balustrade	1924 Heritage Building	The balustrade is not compliant with current code for “openings” permissible once a structure is over 1 metre from the ground (Building Code of Australia Volume 2).
	Uneven floor (internal)	Workshop Buildings	Flooring is rubber sheeting and crusher dust over an uneven base which slopes down towards the stormwater drain towards the southern end of the buildings Provide concrete floor
	Uneven floor (external)	Car Park	Main car park very uneven with an unsealed surface. A number of potholes were observed. Reconstruct car park and driveway
Evacuation signage	Signage does not meet relevant code for emergency exits and no emergency lighting is installed	Bicentennial Building – exhibition area Connection Building Workshop Buildings	Signage does not meet relevant standard for emergency exits (Building Code of Australia Volume 1). Upgrade signage and install emergency lighting

The Plan contains three capital renewal models to address the immediate issues:

· Scenario 1 – Run to fail and safety improvements – assets are replaced on a like for like basis on reaching condition rating of “5-Very Poor” (equivalent to end of asset life).

· Scenario 2 – Scenario 1 plus functionality improvements – as identified upon inspection or via stakeholder engagement.

In all three scenarios, the compliance issues – fire safety (wired detection systems, evacuation and exit compliance measures); access ramps (internal and external); accessible toilets; and electrical issues (switchboard replacements, exposed wiring) were flagged as significant safety and regulatory concerns that need to be rectified within the current financial year.

Approximately $243,000 will be required for this work in 2022/23, or as soon as practicable in 2023/24.

Property Management will now review the identified non-compliance issues and develop a scope of works to address. Property Management has already improved the security and monitoring of the site, and is currently working to address the fire safety issues (wired detection systems, evacuation and exit compliance measures).

With a Master Plan still to be implemented for the area in which the Museum site sits, and as part of the broader heritage precinct, it is likely the existing assets will be impacted in the future.

As such, the Plan recommends Scenario 1, with select functional improvements from Scenario 2. This will avoid over investment in the existing assets in the short-term, allowing for this to be modified when the Master Plan is implemented.

Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan (Attachment 3)

The Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan (Attachment 3) outlines a series of improvements to the exhibitions and to the nature and structure of the visitor experience.

This is a five year plan which recommends a shift away from a content and typology focus (bulk groupings of objects, like with like – crockery, cameras, radios, woodworking tools) to a more contemporary thematic approach is at the core of the Plan. Objects and images in context, telling regional stories around key themes within the history of the Sunshine Coast will provide a more engaging visitor experience for all ages and abilities.

An overview of the key stories, major themes, and floorplan of the Bicentennial Wing is provided in the Interpretation Plan. Detailed object and image lists are not available at this time, noting a document like this could run to hundreds of pages (the space is over 300 square metres and will accommodate thousands of objects).

A staged approach is planned to align to key milestones:

· 2022–2023: Thematic and aesthetic realignment of Landsborough Museum exhibitions and content – Landsborough and District Historical Society will celebrate their 50-year anniversary in 2023.

· 2023–2024: Focus on the heritage listed Landsborough Shire Council Chambers (former) – to commemorate the Centenary of the building, built 1924.

· 2024–2025: Landsborough Heritage Precinct due for master planning and community consultation. This will enable further consultation and development of the plans for the Museum.

· 2025–2026: Landsborough Museum will celebrate 50 years in 2026.

During this period, a longer term strategic plan will be developed. The plan will be informed by contemporary museum thinking and approaches, and the built environment in which the Landsborough Museum sits – including the Landsborough Heritage Precinct Master Plan process to be undertaken in 2024/25 and the proposed Queensland rail duplication project.

The Landsborough and District Historical Society is actively seeking grant funding for exhibition projects in support of the Landsborough Museum Interpretation Plan.

Legal

A series of compliance, safety, and regulatory concerns have been identified through the Landsborough Museum Facility Development Asset Management Plan and should be addressed to avoid any health and safety ramifications.

Policy

The Art and Heritage Collections Policy and its guiding principles provides a clear framework for heritage collections and their important role in documenting and celebrating the unique character and identity of the Sunshine Coast.

The Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031 provides additional strategic direction. Of relevance to the management of the Landsborough Museum are:

· Strategy 2.2 Ensure Council-owned heritage assets are managed in accordance with best practice conservation principles.

· Strategy 2.4 Facilitate the adaptive re-use of Council’s heritage facilities, with the aim of achieving sustainable use outcomes.

· Strategy 4.2 Strengthen partnerships which create and promote cultural heritage tourism opportunities.

· Strategy 4.3 Expand audience understanding of and appreciation for the region’s cultural heritage.

Risk

Given the identification of substantial non-compliance issues with the Landsborough Museum (building), failure to address these issues represents significant risks to people, property, and to reputation.

This may also impact on insurance premiums.

Previous Council Resolution

Ordinary Meeting 10 November 2021 (OM21/113)

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Landsborough Museum - Governance and Partnership Report”

(b) acknowledge with gratitude the contribution of over 45 years of the community volunteers in the operation of the Landsborough museum and accept the donation of the Landsborough Museum community collection in line with the Arts and Heritage Collection Policy 2017

(c) support a governance model for Landsborough Museum that enables Council to operate the Museum as a service of Council and the Landsborough and District Historical Society to provide agreed support services

(d) authorise the Chief Executive Officer to progress formal agreements with Landsborough and District Historical Society to support Council’s decision and

(e) request the Chief Executive Officer to prepare a report including:

i. a specific management strategy for the accepted community collection

ii. a facility management strategy within the context of the Heritage Precinct Strategy and the 15 year Masterplan for Landsborough and

iii. an exhibitions development strategy, and present this report to Council by the 30 November 2022.

Ordinary Meeting 30 January 2020 (OM20/4)

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Landsborough Placemaking Master Plan”

(b) adopt the Landsborough Placemaking Master Plan (Appendix A)

(c) delegate authority to the Chief Executive Officer to make necessary minor amendments to finalise the “Landsborough Placemaking Master Plan” in consultation with the Portfolio Councillor Place Development and Design and Divisional Councillor and

(d) refer the project to the 2020/21 budget for consideration.

Related Documentation

· Art and Heritage Collections Policy

· Sunshine Coast Heritage Plan 2021-2031

· Landsborough Placemaking Master Plan (2020)

Critical Dates

The identified compliance issues represent critical issues and should be rectified as soon as possible.

Implementation

Should the report be accepted by Council, the Chief Executive Officer will advise staff to implement the recommendations within the report.

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.7 Quarterly Progress Report - Quarter 1 2022/23

File No: Council Meetings

Author: Coordinator Corporate Planning and Performance

Civic Governance

Appendices: App a - Chief Executive Officer’s Quarterly Highlights Report Quarter 1, 2022/23 113 ⇩

App b - Operational Plan Activities Report Quarter 1, 2022/23 135 ⇩

purpose

This report presents the Progress Report for Quarter 1, 2022/23. The report covers the period 1 July to 30 September 2022 and seeks to inform Council and the community on the progress of implementation of activities, significant projects and service highlights from Council’s Operational Plan 2022/23.

Executive Summary

Each quarter, Council receives a progress report on the delivery of the Operational Plan 2022/23. The report is published and made available to the community.

The report comprises:

· Appendix A – Chief Executive Officer’s Quarterly Highlights Report Quarter 1, 2022/23

· Appendix B – Operational Plan Activities Report Quarter 1, 2022/23.

Below is a summary of key highlights achieved throughout Quarter 1, 2022/23:

Our Strong Community

· $2,720,803 in community grants were awarded across 343 applications to support community organisations to deliver a wide range of outcomes across the region

· The horizon festival was host to an exciting line-up of 440 artists and presenters, with 21,492 attendances recorded across the 127 events.

· 211,539 visitors attended our libraries to access resources, information and learning opportunities.

Our Environment and Liveability

· The Organisational Zero-net Emissions Plan 2022 was adopted by Council in July 2022 to continue our leadership and commitment to contribute locally to the global emissions reduction challenge.

· More than 1500 residents completed the 2022 Living on the Sunshine Coast community survey with 71% of respondents rating access to the natural environment as the most important attribute that makes a place liveable.

· Six National Tree Day events were held, which saw 320 volunteers planting over 3880 tubestock.

Our Resilient Economy

· $46.6 million in economic activity for the region was generated from 25 Sunshine Coast major events with 86,505 guests attending.

· 72% of Council’s total available purchasing spend for the quarter went to local businesses, resulting in $82.4 million being injected into our local economy for the quarter.

· 3041 Sunshine Coast businesses accessed specialist advice, information, workshops and events that support economic development in the region.

Our Service Excellence

· $2.7 million was invested to rehabilitate and resurface 3.9 kilometres of local roads to improve the safety of these roads for our community (total area 23,859m²).

· The Nambour Aquatic Centre Splash Park opened to the public on 17 September 2022, attracting more than 4,000 visitors on the first weekend of the school holidays.

· The new boardwalk between Sage Street and Royal Drive, Buderim was completed, offering a smoother journey for those using wheelchairs, walkers and prams.

Our Outstanding Organisation

· Sunshine Coast City Hall reached a construction milestone with the tower crane dismantled, external scaffolding removed and the fit-out on several floors completed.

· Council was named a finalist in two categories of the 2022 National Economic Development Awards for Excellence: Economic Development Strategic Thinking and the Economic Development Marketing and Promotion.

· Council was successful in receiving several funding allocations from other tiers of government to support early literacy, road safety, active transport, local arts project and disaster resilience.

Officer Recommendation

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Quarterly Progress Report - Quarter 1 2022/23”

(b) note the Chief Executive Officer’s Quarterly Highlights Report - Quarter 1, 2022/23 (Appendix A) and

(c) note the Operational Plan Activities Report - Quarter 1, 2022/23 (Appendix B) reporting on implementation of the Corporate and Operational Plans.

Finance and Resourcing

This report is developed and funded within the current operational budget to provide an update on the progress towards the operational plan activities.

Financial reporting information is not included in this report. A Financial Performance Report is provided to Council each month covering operating revenue and expenses as well as progress on the capital works program.

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our outstanding organisation

Outcome: We serve our community by providing this great service.

Consultation

Councillor Consultation

This report has been discussed with Councillor J Natoli and Councillor E Hungerford as Portfolio Councillors for Our Outstanding Organisation.

Internal Consultation

Consultation has occurred with relevant Coordinators, Managers and each Group Executive to provide accurate information on service delivery and operational plan activities.

This is a whole of Council report and consultation involves all Groups of Council:

· Built Infrastructure Group

· Business Performance Group

· Customer and Planning Services Group

· Economic and Community Development Group

· Liveability and Natural Assets Group

· Civic Governance Group

· Office of the CEO.

External Consultation

There has been no external consultation in relation to this report.

Community Engagement

There has been no community engagement in relation to this report although community engagement has been an inherent part of many of the activities profiled in this report.

Proposal

Under section 174(3) of the Local Government Regulation 2012, the Chief Executive Officer is required to provide a regular report to a Council meeting outlining the progress in delivering on the outcomes in its operational plan.

Progress report

The Chief Executive Officer’s Quarterly Highlights Report – Quarter 1, 2022/23 (Appendix A) consists of a summary of achievements under each of the corporate plan goals, as reflected in the structure of Council’s Operational Plan 2022/23.

Operational Plan Activities Report - Quarter 1, 2022/23 (Appendix B) provides details on the implementation of the 83 activities outlined in Council’s Operational Plan 2022/23. It includes the status of each activity covering percentage complete, on time and on budget indicators as well as progress commentary.

Legal

This report has been prepared in response to the requirements of section 174(3) of the Local Government Regulation 2012.

Policy

The presentation of this report in itself, is not inconsistent with any adopted Council policies. The quarterly progress report is, however, a component of Council’s Strategic Planning and Reporting Framework.

Risk

In accordance with Council’s Risk Management Framework, the risks and opportunities identified in relation to the quarterly progress report include:

· reputation/public image: the report provides information on Council’s operational plan and service delivery with both qualitative and quantitative updates to the community

· legislative: the report seeks to fulfill the legislative requirements of the Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government Regulation 2012 and

· business activity: the report keeps Council informed on the progress of the operational plan activities and risk associated with their budget and schedule.

Previous Council Resolution

Ordinary Meeting 25 August 2022 (OM22/61)

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Quarterly Progress Report - Quarter 4, 2021/22” and

(b) note the Chief Executive Officer’s Quarterly Highlights Report - Quarter 4, 2021/22 (Appendix A) and

(c) note the Operational Plan Activities Report - Quarter 4, 2021/22 (Appendix B) reporting on implementation of the Corporate and Operational Plans.

Related Documentation

· Corporate Plan 2022-2026

· Operational Plan 2022/23

· Financial information provided to Council in the Financial and Capital management report.

Critical Dates

Quarterly Progress reports are usually presented to Council within eight weeks of the end of the calendar quarter, subject to the scheduled meeting cycle. The Local Government Regulation 2012 requires the report to be presented to Council at intervals of not more than three months.

Implementation

The report will be published and available for community access via Council’s website and a digital copy will be provided to the State Library.

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.8 October 2022 Financial Performance Report

File No: Council Meetings

Author: Coordinator Financial Services

Business Performance Group

Attachments: Att 1 - October 2022 Financial Performance Report........... 171 ⇩

Att 2 - Capital Grant Funded Project Report October 2022 181 ⇩

purpose

To meet Council’s legislative obligations, a monthly report is to be presented to Council on its financial performance and investments.

Executive Summary

This monthly financial performance report provides Council with a summary of performance against budget as at 31 October 2022 in terms of the operating result and delivery of the capital program.

Operating Performance

Table 1: Operating Budget as at 31 October 2022

	Original Budget $000	Current Budget $000
Total Operating Revenue	535,020	537,400
Total Operating Expenses	503,237	510,106
Operating Result	31,783	27,294

Details of the monthly financial report are contained in Attachment 1.

Officer Recommendation

That Council receive and note the report titled “October 2022 Financial Performance Report ”.

Finance and Resourcing

This report sets out the details of Council’s financial performance and investments for the month ending 31 October 2022 and meets Council’s legislative reporting requirements.

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our outstanding organisation

Outcome: We serve our community by providing this great service.

Consultation

Portfolio Councillor Consultation

Consultation has been undertaken with the Portfolio Councillor, E Hungerford.

Internal Consultation

This report has been written in conjunction with advice from:

· Group Executive Business Performance

· Chief Financial Officer

External Consultation

No external consultation is required for this report.

Community Engagement

No community engagement is required for this report.

Legal

This report ensures that Council complies with its legislative obligations with respect to financial reporting in accordance with Section 204 of the Local Government Regulation 2012.

Investment of funds is in accordance with the provisions of the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982 and the associated Regulations and the Local Government Act 2009.

Policy

Sunshine Coast Council’s 2022/23 Investment Policy and

Sunshine Coast Council’s 2022/23 Debt Policy.

Risk

Failure to achieve the budgeted operating result will negatively impact Council’s capacity to complete its capital expenditure program.

Previous Council Resolution

Ordinary Meeting 21 September 2022 (OM22/76)

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Budget Review 1 – 2022/23”

(b) adopt Appendix A as tabled, pursuant to sections 169 and 170 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council’s amended budget for 2022/23 financial year incorporating:

(i) the statement of income and expenditure

(ii) the statement of financial position

(iii) the statements of changes in equity

(iv) the statement of cash flow

(v) the relevant measures of financial sustainability

(vi) the long term financial forecast

(vii) the Debt Policy

(viii) the Revenue Statement

(c) adopt Appendix A as tabled, pursuant to section 120, 121 and 122 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council grants a concession by way of a part rebate of the differential general rate levied, to those ratepayers described in section 2.4.4 in the 2022/23 Revenue Statement, subject to the eligibility criteria and conditions set out in section 2.4.4 in the 2022/23 Revenue Statement

(d) note the following documentation applies as adopted 23 June 2022

(i) the Revenue Policy

(ii) the total value of the change, expressed as a percentage, in the rates and utility charges levied for the financial year compared with the rates and utility charges levied in the previous budget

(iii) the rates and charges to be levied for the 2022/23 financial year and other matters as adopted 23 June 2022

(iv) the Strategic Environment Levy Policy

(v) the Strategic Arts and Heritage Levy Policy

(vi) the Strategic Transport Levy Policy and

(e) endorse the Minor Capital Works Program (Appendix B).

Special Meeting Budget 23 June 2022 (SM22/2)

That Council adopt Appendix A as tabled, pursuant to sections 169 and 170 of the Local Government Regulation 2012, Council’s budget for 2022/23 financial year incorporating:

i. the statement of income and expenditure

ii. the statement of financial position

iii. the statements of changes in equity

iv. the statement of cash flow

v. the relevant measures of financial sustainability

vi. the long term financial forecast

vii. the Debt Policy (adopted by Council resolution on 26 May 2022)

viii. the Revenue Policy (adopted by Council resolution on 26 May 2022)

ix. the total value of the change, expressed as a percentage, in the rates and utility charges levied for the financial year compared with the rates and utility charges levied in the previous budget

x. the Revenue Statement

xi. Council’s 2022/23 Capital Works Program, endorse the indicative four-year program for the period 2024 to 2027, and note the five-year program for the period 2028 to 2032

xii. the rates and charges to be levied for the 2022/23 financial year and other matters as detailed below in clauses 3 to 12

xiii. endorse the 2022/23 Minor Capital Works Program

xiv. the Strategic Environment Levy Policy

xv. the Strategic Arts and Heritage Levy Policy and

xvi. the Strategic Transport Levy Policy

Related Documentation

2022/23 Adopted Budget

Critical Dates

There are no critical dates for this report.

Implementation

There are no implementation details to include in this report.

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.9 Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan

File No: Council meetings

Author: Head of Strategic Property

Business Performance Group

Appendices: App a - Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042 ........... 199/275

Attachments: Att 1 - Caloundra Aerodrome Investment Plan - Confidential

purpose

The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s endorsement of a new Master Plan for Caloundra Aerodrome, being the Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042.

In preparing this report, the Chief Executive Officer recommends that Attachment 1 - Caloundra Aerodrome Investment Plan be considered confidential in accordance with Section 254J(3)(g) of the Local Government Regulation 2012 as it contains information relating to negotiations relating to a commercial matter involving the local government for which a public discussion would be likely to prejudice the interests of the local government.

Executive Summary

Since endorsement of the current Master Plan in 2013, a number of changes have affected the operations and strategic position of the Caloundra Aerodrome, including:

· Council obtaining freehold title to the Caloundra Aerodrome land from the State Government

· significant growth and future expansion plans have been articulated by aviation related businesses already located on-site

· increasing demand for industrial land across the region

· desire by some of the current lessees to expand their lease footprint and to obtain greater certainty from Council on the future of the Caloundra Aerodrome to underpin their own investment decisions

· the development of plans for mass transit on the Sunshine Coast, and proposals for the development of a rail solution on the Caboolture and Maroochydore Corridor Options Study (CAMCOS)/Sunshine Coast corridor, which is adjacent to part of the Caloundra Aerodrome site

· technological changes in aviation, emerging business opportunities and broader industry trends - both domestically and internationally - including drone technology and use, electric powered aircraft, tourism, advanced manufacturing and defence-based industries

· a revised designation of the ecological values of land surrounding parts of the Caloundra Aerodrome as matters of state environmental significance and koala habitat and

· land use challenges impacting on the proposed Queensland Air Museum (QAM) expansion.

· operational site management transferring from Sunshine Coast Airport (SCA) to Council’s Property Management Branch, following the lease of the SCA to Palisade Investment Partners

The objective of the proposed new Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan as developed by SMEC is to establish a clear value proposition for the Caloundra Aerodrome as a key aviation and aerospace industry asset within south-east Queensland with the capacity to support more advanced technology solutions and supply chain requirements for this sector – without necessarily expanding the scope of aircraft movements from this site.

This approach is considered to be one that will afford the Caloundra Aerodrome a distinct industry locational advantage within south-east Queensland and improve the scale of economic benefit delivered by the precinct to the Sunshine Coast over a 20-year timeframe.

The development of the proposed new Master Plan has been delivered in two stages, being:

1. Strategic Assessment – opportunities and future role; and

2. Development of the Master Plan

The proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042 (refer Appendix A – Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042) provides a vision commensurate with the objective outlined above and is consistent with the intent of the Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Strategy 2013-2033 (REDS).

In summary, the main features of the Master Plan are:

· Establishes a clear value proposition for Caloundra Aerodrome as a key aviation and aerospace asset within southeast Queensland without necessarily expanding scope for aircraft movements

· Identifies 6.3ha of aviation related commercial land to be made available with flexible lot sizes

· Identifies a future investigation precinct

· Seeks to ensure no material degradation of the current impacts associated with flying operations

· Seeks to attract industries that have a minimal impact on surrounding sensitive receptors.

· Recommends user pays charging scheme implemented for landing and parking, with emphasis on regional based users being prioritised.

· No suggestion of any revision to current flight paths, nor installation of additional runways or modification of existing runway dimensions.

· Removes Isabel Jordan Bushland Reserve as an area of aerodrome expansion.

· Greater investment in aviation infrastructure and parking facilities at the Aerodrome.

· Commits to continue data collation for future assessment / ongoing management of flight movements

· Sets a new vision that enables the aerodrome to evolve as a significant location for high value aerospace and aviation industries.

The additional airside infrastructure will improve the capacity for aircraft storage and promote efficiencies in runway usage by reducing bottlenecking at the runways, thus reducing the need for aircraft to complete additional flight circuits while waiting for runway availability.

Officer Recommendation

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan”

(b) endorse the Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042 (Appendix A) and

(c) refer the Infrastructure Investment Plan for consideration as part of the next budget development process.

Finance and Resourcing

The proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan is a planning document which seeks to articulate Council’s vision for the Caloundra Aerodrome over the next 20 years and to guide development, investment and operational management of the site.

The proposed Master Plan makes a number of recommendations for delivering growth capacity for aerospace, general aviation and related industries at the site, including:

1. establishing new useable/leasable areas within the existing site footprint

2. additional airside infrastructure and

3. further investigation/planning work for future useable areas.

Growth in the aerodrome’s broader economic contribution is predicated on the requisite investment in infrastructure and resultant availability of serviced land assets as proposed in the Master Plan – to enable both business retention and expansion plus investment attraction activities.

The capital investment required to implement the entirety of Stage 1 of the proposed Master Plan has been estimated at approximately $15.85 million. The investment estimates have been costed by SMEC, industry peer-reviewed and subsequently assessed by internal officers to ensure allowances have been made for the significant volatility being experienced in construction and labour force costs. At the same time, it is recognised this investment would be in an asset that has the capacity to generate returns to Council to offset the proposed capital outlay. Accordingly, an Infrastructure Investment Plan has been developed to accompany this report (see Appendix A) which outlines the anticipated capital commitment required, expected revenue return to Council and forecast economic benefit over the life of this Master Plan. There is potential for the proposed capital investment to be debt funded, with the debt serviced through lease revenue. This is consistent with Council’s current Debt Policy.

There has been strong interest from some of the existing businesses at the Caloundra Aerodrome to expand at the site, coupled with interest from other businesses seeking to relocate to the Caloundra Aerodrome. At the present time and under the current configuration, the Caloundra Aerodrome is at capacity and there are no leases readily available for development. The proposed Master Plan, supported by the proposed Infrastructure Investment Plan, identifies new development areas that could be progressed (if supported by Council) to secure further private sector investment and business growth in the Caloundra Aerodrome.

The completion of Stage 1 works is expected to generate new investment and business development opportunities that have the capacity to make a significant contribution to the regional economy, through direct capital and operational investment by other parties and flow-on activity to other industries. AEC Group has forecast the estimated economic benefit post Stage 1 completion as follows:

· $178.1 million in output for local business

· $75.3 million in Gross Regional Product; and

· 1,119 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs paying $49.2 million in wages, salaries, and other employee compensation

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our resilient economy

Outcome: 3.6 - Encourage investment in talent and skills.

Operational Activity: 3.6.2 - Finalise the Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan and prepare the implementation plan.

Consultation

Councillor Consultation

A workshop was held with Councillors in October 2022.

Internal Consultation

· Chief Strategy Officer

· Group Executive, Customer and Planning Services

· Group Executive, Economic & Community Development

· Group Executive, Business Performance

· Acting Group Executive, Built Infrastructure (prior to 4 October 2022)

· Group Executive, Liveability and Natural Assets

· Chief of Staff

· Head of Property, Business Performance

· Chief Financial Officer

· Head of Productivity and Industry, Economic & Community Development

· Coordinator Planning Scheme Amendments, Customer & Planning Services

· Coordinator Flooding & Stormwater Policy, Built Infrastructure

· Coordinator Biodiversity & Waterways, Liveability & Natural Assets

· Head of Strategic Property, Business Performance

· Buildings & Facilities Assets Manager, Business Performance

· Principal Property Officer, Business Performance

· Senior Property Officer, Business Performance

· Facilities Officer (Aerodrome Reporting Officer), Business Performance

· Project Officer, Liveability & Natural Assets

External Consultation

SMEC were engaged as the lead consultant to develop the proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042.

AEC Group were engaged by SMEC to provide economic assessment as part of the development of the proposed Master Plan.

Feedback on the Draft Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042 has been sought from Sunshine Coast Airport.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) have reviewed the proposed Master Plan and provided feedback to assist Council in understanding the impacts to, and requirements of, adjoining state-controlled road. Consultation has also occurred with DTMR’s project team for the proposed Beerwah to Maroochydore (B2M) rail extension project, the corridor for which is proposed in land adjoining the Caloundra Aerodrome.

Community Engagement

The engagement process for the Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan project was delivered in accordance with the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) framework and guidance. Stakeholder analysis was undertaken to identify stakeholders, their level of influence and potential impact on the master plan process and potential impact on the decision-making process. Through this process, stakeholders were identified including existing aerodrome users, external aviation bodies and surrounding business and community groups.

Due to the limited nature of the associated impacts on the surrounding community and the fact that no changes are proposed to the existing flights paths, Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) or Aircraft Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF), following internal discussions and approvals, Council progressed with targeted stakeholder consultation rather than broader community consultation on the draft Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan.

As agreed in November 2021, the following stakeholders have been engaged during the development of the Master Plan:

· Bellvista and Bells Reach Community Association

· Caloundra Residents Association

· Golden Beach & Pelican Waters Community Association

· Caloundra Chamber of Commerce

· Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland

· Queensland Air Museum (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· Helimods (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· GoFly Aviation (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· Aircraft Maintenance Specialists (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· Cirrus Aircraft Sunshine Coast (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· Omni (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· Inspire Aviation (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· Westpac Helicopters – Surf Life Saving Queensland (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· Ocean Views Helicopters (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· Australian Air Cadets (Caloundra Aerodrome tenant)

· Sunshine Coast Airport

Engagement has occurred in the form of one-on-one interviews, updates at the quarterly Caloundra Community & Aviation Forum, in-person presentation/group discussion, electronic document review, written submissions and telephone interviews.

Results of Stakeholder Consultation

Feedback from these engagements is summarised under four main themes of infrastructure, land availability, impact management and future growth.

1. Infrastructure

Additional investment in hard infrastructure at the Caloundra Aerodrome was deemed essential to unlocking the economic potential of this site, without expanding the impacts on surrounding communities. The lack of aircraft housing capacity (particularly sheltered hangar space) was expressed by tenants and potential new business entrants as a pressing impediment to existing business expansion and future investment. In addition to the new developable areas, the Master Plan proposes new airside parking areas which can accommodate undercover open T Hanger structures.

The expansion of runways and airside infrastructure to accommodate Code 2B aircraft (larger aircraft than is currently accommodated at Caloundra Aerodrome) was identified as an important investment for some, but not all, stakeholders. It was suggested that expansion of this nature would rapidly provide an increase in business capacity and access to additional markets, that would trickle through to multiple businesses. It was noted that expanded runways/airside infrastructure was mentioned as an opportunity in the Caloundra Aerodrome Business Plan produced in 2018 and would provide a step towards compliance with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Manual of Standards (MOS) 139 (a statutory set of requirements and standards for aerodromes with published instrument flight procedures).

Feedback received indicated that while an increase in larger aircraft capacity could provide opportunities for some industry participants, it may also impact on existing aerodrome planning controls e.g. noise contours (ANEF), building height restrictions (OLS) and others.

The proposed Master Plan does not therefore, include provision for expansion of runways but does include expanded airside infrastructure to better facilitate the operations of existing and potential new tenants.

2. Land availability

The notion of additional developed land to accommodate business growth and industry expansion within the existing Caloundra Aerodrome site was acknowledged as an action that has been present in the current Master Plan since 2013. Stakeholders deemed this proposal as fairly achievable within the existing site. The proposed Master Plan provides for the establishment of a new expansion area of approximately 6.3ha of net developable area within the existing Aerodrome site.

Some stakeholders suggested that attraction of new businesses should not be to the detriment of existing Caloundra Aerodrome businesses, some of whom have a necessary business requirement for airside access. It is not the role of the Master Plan to restrict the nature, type and scale of new business investment in the site where that investment is consistent with the intended uses of the Aerodrome.

Other feedback included the need to ensure Caloundra Aerodrome operations were not impeded by future development/built form in inappropriate areas, such as allowing development within the Public Safety Area (PSA) at the end of the runways. Other stakeholders questioned the scope, scale and limitations presented by the existing PSA as an impediment to future business investment and industry growth. Recognising the differing views in this regard, it is proposed to commission an independent review of the PSA as part of the development of the new Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme – recognising that the current PSA was implemented as part of the development of the current Planning Scheme.

3. Impact Management

Stakeholders acknowledged that noise is a key issue requiring ongoing stringent management by all parties. Flight training was noted as the most impactful activity at the site. One stakeholder group registered frustration at the existing noise management measures and felt that strengthening of compliance with these measures for flight training activity was necessary. It was suggested that Council’s existing Fly Neighbourly Policy is somewhat ineffective given its reliance on non-binding participation and lack of specific and direct objectives.

As a counterpoint, some stakeholders highlighted flight training as a principal function of an aerodrome and therefore, part of the Caloundra Aerodrome’s core value to the south-east Queensland aviation industry. Some stakeholders also noted a significant reduction in the number of training operators at the Caloundra Aerodrome in recent years and felt that relationships between all parties have improved over time, assisted in part by the ongoing Caloundra Community & Aviation Forum, held quarterly.

The Master Plan seeks to ensure no degradation of community impacts of current flying operations by exploring implementation of suitable mechanism to manage and mitigate operational risks, such as implementing landing fees to rationalise the use of the runways by non-local flight training. The plan also seeks to attract industries that have minimal impact on surrounding sensitive receptors. The expression of intent process recommended by the proposed Master Plan seeks inputs from current and potential tenants to understand, qualify and quantify the contributions or impacts that the proposed use will make to the future development and sustainability of the Aerodrome.

The removal of the Isabel Jordan Reserve as an expansion area was positively received, both from an environmental viewpoint and from the provision of clarity and certainty for affected organisations.

4. Future Growth

Some stakeholders acknowledged the Caloundra Aerodrome as an important asset for the region and potentially, south east Queensland. It was acknowledged the proposed Master Plan would require significant capital investment, over time. However, it was recognised that some opportunities could be realised with minimal modification and investment and that it would be an opportune time to capitalise on the proposals. Many stakeholders identified that the continued usefulness of existing infrastructure is a good basis for future enhancement - that is to say, that investment in the Caloundra Aerodrome should continue to build on the investment in existing assets. Accordingly, the proposed Master Plan recommends the investment in the construction of new taxi ways that will seek to improve aircraft manoeuvring and flow during peak periods, provision of new aprons to increase general aviation parking capacity and car parking along Pathfinder Drive to accommodate the expansion of QAM.

Several stakeholders noted the Caloundra Aerodrome provided a different offering to the SCA and that it is important to remain a complementary proposition, rather than a competitive one. With that said, some stakeholders noted the potential for growth in private chartering which could provide revenue generation, flow-on economic benefits to the area and improved direct connectivity to Caloundra from areas typically too far to reach by car. The notion of connectivity was considered very important for the future growth and development of the precinct. While the proposed Master Plan does not specifically provide for expansion of charter flight operations, it would not inhibit future investment in charter flight operations which are consistent with the operational parameters of the existing airport infrastructure.

Proposal

Background

In May 2021, Council appointed engineering, management and development consultancy SMEC as the lead consultant to develop a new Master Plan for Caloundra Aerodrome. The previous Master Plan, endorsed by Council in 2013, recommended a five year review period. Generally, aviation facility master plans are required to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to ensure compliance, relevance and currency with contemporary aviation operational requirements and legislation.

Since endorsement of the current Master Plan in 2013, a number of changes have affected the operations and strategic position of the Caloundra Aerodrome, including:

· Council obtaining freehold title to the Caloundra Aerodrome land from the State Government

· significant growth and future expansion plans have been articulated by some aviation related businesses already located on-site

· increasing demand for industrial land across the region

· desire by some of the current lessees to expand their lease footprint and to obtain greater certainty from Council on the future of the Caloundra Aerodrome to underpin their future investment decisions

· the development of plans for mass transit on the Sunshine Coast and proposals for the development of a rail solution on the CAMCOS/Sunshine Coast corridor, which is adjacent to part of the Caloundra Aerodrome site

· a revised designation of the ecological values of land surrounding parts of the Caloundra Aerodrome as matters of state environmental significance and koala habitat and

· land use challenges impacting on the proposed Queensland Air Museum (QAM) expansion.

· operational site management transferring from SCA to Council’s Property Management Branch, following the lease of the SCA to Palisade Investment Partners

The development of the proposed new Master Plan has been delivered in two stages, being:

1. Strategic Assessment – opportunities and future role; and

2. development of the Master Plan

A project steering committee comprising Council officers, was established at the outset to contribute to the Strategic Assessment and to guide the development of the Master Plan.

To complete the Strategic Assessment, SMEC reviewed information provided by Council, interviewed Caloundra Aerodrome businesses, residents’ associations and other stakeholder groups, independently researched relevant issues and utilised the expertise of technical consultants, including in areas of land use planning, aviation regulation and economic analysis. The Strategic Assessment covered the following key considerations:

· land use context

· physical characteristics

· stakeholder feedback

· economic context and

· aviation activities.

The Strategic Assessment was ultimately an information gathering stage of the project to understand the current operating context of the Caloundra Aerodrome, constraints, and future opportunities.

Following the completion of the Strategic Assessment, support was provided to progress to Stage 2, being the development of the proposed Master Plan. In this context, there was an agreed nominated consultation/engagement approach, being direct engagement with Caloundra Aerodrome stakeholders including tenants, community and residents’ associations and the Caloundra Chamber of Commerce.

Engagement process to inform the development of the proposed Master Plan

Council’s Community Engagement: Excellence in Engagement Framework 2021 articulates Council’s commitment to undertake engagement that is authentic, meaningful and fit-for-purpose. The framework identifies a spectrum of engagement options to consider, including Inform, Consult, Involve, Collaborate, and Empower. Assessment of the Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan project against criteria contained in the framework indicated Consult as the appropriate level of engagement to be adopted for the project. The active contribution of Caloundra Aerodrome stakeholders representing tenants, community and residents’ groups, business interests and environmental interests was considered both essential and appropriate for the development of the proposed Master Plan.

Interviews between SMEC and the identified stakeholders took place in two blocks - July to September 2021 (Caloundra Aerodrome tenants and community organisations) and January to February 2022 (community and resident associations and Chamber of Commerce). Additionally, updates were provided to the quarterly Community and Aviation Forum, with the most recent update provided to that forum on 10 August 2022. The Community and Aviation Forum includes representatives of:

· Bellvista & Bells Reach Community Association

· Golden Beach & Pelican Waters Community Association

· Parklands Community Group

· Caloundra Residents Association

· Caloundra Chamber of Commerce

· Omni Executive

· Helimods

· Queensland Aviation Museum (QAM)

· Cirrus Aircraft Sunshine Coast

· GoFly Aviation

· Aircraft Maintenance Specialist

· Ocean View Helicopters

· Inspire Aviation

· Westpac Rescue Helicopters

· Sunshine Coast Skydivers

Proposed Master Plan

The objective of the proposed new Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan is to establish a clear value proposition for the Caloundra Aerodrome as a key aviation and aerospace industry asset within southeast Queensland, which has the capacity to support more advanced technology solutions and supply chain requirements for this sector – without necessarily resulting in a significant expansion in aircraft movements from this site.

This approach is considered to be one that will afford the Caloundra Aerodrome a distinct industry locational advantage within south east Queensland and improve the scale of economic benefit delivered by the precinct to the Sunshine Coast over a 20-year timeframe.

In this context and consistent with the objectives for the development and expansion of the aviation and aerospace industry in the Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Strategy 2013-2033, the proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042 (Appendix A) provides the following vision for this asset:

Caloundra Aerodrome will become a precinct of choice for advanced aerospace and associated advanced manufacturing activities, delivering cutting edge, sophisticated and sustainable opportunities of significance to the South-East Queensland aviation and aerospace industry.

The importance of the Caloundra Aerodrome in a wider economic and employment context is best maximised by pursuing a distinct proposition that embeds its value not just to the Sunshine Coast but to the broader south east Queensland aviation and aerospace industry. High-value industries such as aviation and aerospace have the potential to generate a range of enduring career opportunities and higher-paying jobs for the local community. Many participants in this industry are also regarded as ‘clever’ innovation-oriented businesses which attract a workforce with high levels of knowledge and skills and generate unique intellectual property with significant commercial value.

With this in mind, the proposed Master Plan recognises that a facility such as the Caloundra Aerodrome offers substantial potential to pivot from a general aviation facility into an aerospace innovation hub, as it has the potential to support complementary development of other high-value industries – being a traditional aviation facility, with the ability to incorporate education, research and development, tourism, and clean technologies through future expansion.

An extant recommendation from the existing 2013 Master Plan is to improve the economic opportunities for the Caloundra Aerodrome through the extension of developable area along Pathfinder Drive, Caloundra West. The proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042 confirms this opportunity as a readily achievable land use outcome (subject to funding), which is described in the Plan as Stage 1.

Stage 1 includes the extension of Pathfinder Drive, Caloundra West and associated services, the release of approximately 6.3 hectares of proposed net developable area within the existing aerodrome footprint which can be made available through flexible lot sizes and improvements to airside infrastructure including taxiway and apron parking. This proposed land release seeks to support and facilitate the growth aspirations of the existing aviation related and associated manufacturing and technology dependent industries, tourism industry operators as well as accommodate the attraction of new cutting-edge aerospace industries and services to the aerodrome.

The additional airside infrastructure identified in the proposed Master Plan will improve the capacity for aircraft storage and promote efficiencies in runway usage by reducing bottlenecking at the runways, thus reducing the need for aircraft to complete additional flight circuits while waiting for runway availability.

The Master Plan identifies the need to rationalise existing operations, particularly regarding heavy utilisation of the Caloundra Aerodrome by itinerant aircraft, through the introduction of user fees, the improvement in the collation of flight movement data, and the continuance of Council’s Fly Neighbourly Policy. The Master Plan does not suggest any revision to current flight paths. There is also no recommendation to install additional runways or modify existing runway dimensions.

The Master Plan also identifies a future opportunity at the eastern boundary of the site associated in part with the delivery of the proposed heavy rail station within the adjoining rail corridor. While there is no certainty as to the timing of delivery by the Queensland Government for the rail solution, the Master Plan recommends further investigations are undertaken to consider the opportunities and constraints of utilising land in this area. An eastern interface between the Caloundra Aerodrome and proposed major transport hub may provide a significant opportunity for the future economic sustainability of the Caloundra Aerodrome. The Department of Transport and Main Roads has provided feedback on the proposed Master Plan to identify any potential impacts to associated state-controlled road interests and any requirements thereof. Consultation with DTMR has also occurred to understand any potential requirements of the proposed Beerwah to Maroochydore (B2M) rail project. The further investigation area is described as Stage 2 within the Master Plan.

The Stage 1 and Stage 2 areas are depicted in Figure 1 below - Staging Plan

Figure 1- Staging Plan

The proposed new developable/leasable areas are shown in Figure 2 - Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan below as blue areas, and new taxiways and aircraft storage spaces are shown airside in grey.

Figure 2. Master Plan (Stage 1)

The proposed Master Plan has been developed with appropriate regard to statutory and regulatory obligations, both in an aviation safeguarding context and from a land use planning viewpoint. It also makes a number of recommendations for improving and sustaining the operations and strategic positioning of Caloundra Aerodrome over the next 20 years. Commensurate with the nature of master planning documents, the proposed Master Plan remains at a reasonably broad and high-level to best position Council in adapting to a variety of future issues (including competing budgetary priorities, regional prioritisation, industry trends and external market factors). This approach is proposed in recognition of the fact that some recommendations in the current Master Plan 2013 (ie. the extension of Pathfinder Drive) are yet to be finalised.

In developing the proposed Master Plan, it was identified that only one full year of aircraft movement data in recent years is sufficiently available and reliable for analysis. The period covering 2020 and much of 2021 is somewhat unreliable as a basis for assessing typical aircraft movements, given the public movement restrictions in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were also issues identified with the accuracy of flight movement capture, which currently occurs through the transcription of radio declarations from pilots. With this in mind, the proposed Master Plan recommends continued collation of flight movement data to build a more robust dataset for future assessment and modelling.

Forecast Economic Impact

As context, including direct and flow-on activity, AEC Group has estimated the Caloundra Aerodrome to have made the following contributions to the Sunshine Coast Local Government Area (LGA) economy in 2019-2020:

1. $64.6 million in output for local businesses (0.3% of the total for the Sunshine Coast LGA)

2. $27.6 million in Gross Regional Product (0.4% of the total for the Sunshine Coast LGA) and

3. 502 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs paying $18.1 million in wages, salaries, and other employee compensation (0.4% of FTE jobs and 0.4% of total wages and salaries for the Sunshine Coast LGA).

By comparison, should Council agree to adopt the proposed Master Plan, its implementation is forecast to generate new investment and business development opportunities that have the capacity to make a significant contribution to the regional economy, through direct capital and operational investment by other parties and flow-on activity to other industries. AEC Group has forecast the estimated economic benefit post Stage 1 completion of the Master Plan to be

· $178.1 million in output for local business

· $75.3 million in Gross Regional Product and

· 1,119 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs paying $49.2 million in wages, salaries, and other employee compensation

Legal

Legal Services have reviewed the Master Plan and advised there are no proposals which would interfere with Council’s statutory obligations.

Policy

Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Strategy 2013-2033

Sunshine Coast – The Natural Advantage: Regional Economic Development Strategy 2013-2033 (REDS) provides a 20-year vision and blueprint for sustainable economic growth. The aviation and aerospace industry is one of the seven High-Value Industries (HVI) that have formed the foundation of the REDS since its inception. Growing investment in that industry is a component part of realising the aspirational goals in the strategy. The proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan has been prepared with this strategic objective in mind.

The REDS recognised that growth, development and investment in the aviation and aerospace industry is heavily reliant on the availability of appropriate infrastructure assets and that the region was fortunate in having two (2) valuable assets (SCA and Caloundra Aerodrome) providing a competitive advantage by the nature of their complementary characteristics. With their different economic footprints and unique features attracting different business and investment opportunities, if managed and developed appropriately, they have the capacity for delivering both significant growth and sustained economic benefit to the region. The development and implementation of the proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan seeks to harness the Caloundra Aerodrome’s potential to support the development of the aviation and aerospace industry on the Sunshine Coast and develop as a distinct, contemporary industry asset that provides a compelling opportunity for the industry and its associated supply chain in south-east Queensland.

Risk

The principal objective of the proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042 is to establish a clear and compelling value proposition for the Caloundra Aerodrome and appropriately optimise its economic contribution to the region. Currently there is desire and a critical requirement from some of the existing Caloundra Aerodrome businesses to expand and grow their operations, but they require certainty (tenure, space and precinct investment) to convert those proposals to new investment. There is a risk that should the Master Plan not be endorsed, this may signal a hesitancy from Council to invest in the future functional requirements of the Caloundra Aerodrome and could result in the loss of investment by both existing businesses and new entrants.

Community opposition to the continued operation and expansion of the aerodrome is another risk due to noise issues, however the Master Plan seeks to provide for no material worsening of the current impacts associated with Aerodrome operations. The proposed Master Plan supports ongoing fly neighbourly measures to reduce noise impacts such as encouraging the introduction of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft use, sharing the runway loads to disperse constant noise and continuous monitoring of circuit training which has been identified as the predominantly nuisance noise source. Noise mitigation will be an ongoing operational matter which can be addressed through management of movements, proposed fee management and attracting industries that have minimal impact on surrounding sensitive receptors.

Environmental impacts and risks associated with the Master Plan have been reduced by removing the Isabel Jordan Bushland Reserve as an expansion area. The proposed Stage 2 will however, necessitate further investigation to consider potential environmental constraints.

In regard to contamination risks, a site-specific contamination assessment (including on-site testing) will be required prior to any future development occurring on site to ensure potential contamination sources are identified and appropriately managed.

There are no discernible risks for the QAM with the implementation of the Master Plan. The QAM has been consulted during the Master Planning process. Proposed new parking along Pathfinder Drive will free up land within their existing lease area to enable future expansion of that important community facility.

Previous Council Resolution

The current Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan was endorsed by Council resolution at the Ordinary Meeting held on 28 March 2013

Ordinary Meeting 28 March 2013 (OM13/48)

That Council:

(a) Receive and note the report titled “Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan”

(b) Adopt the “Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan” (Appendix A) with the following amendments;

(i) remove the runway extension shown in Figure 10 and reflect any consequential amendments to noise contour diagrams and obstacle limitation surfaces be formulated based on the fullest extent that the runways could be built to and

(ii) insert the following text into Figure 10 “the Caloundra Aerodrome has enduring rights that allow future infrastructure expansion to meet the future needs of the aerodrome” ensuring the text is easily seen and read

(c) Note that funding of the master plan is contingent on the future endorsement of supporting business cases and annual budget consideration by Council

(d) Seek the cooperation of the State Government in the establishment of a satellite helicopter training facility

(e) Engage with the State Government to facilitate the expansion of the Queensland Air Museum

(f) Request the Chief Executive Officer advise the Department of Transport and main Roads that the alignment and design of the East-West link between Caloundra South and Pelican Waters:

(i) must not be in conflict with the Obstacle Limitation Surface as depicted in the Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan and

(ii) consider the implications of the extent of wetlands that might give rise to an increase bird strike for aircraft using the aerodrome

(g) request the Chief Executive Officer to develop a communication strategy in consultation with Division 1 and 2 Councillors and the Aviation Portfolio Councillor to provide an ongoing engagement with the communities surrounding the aerodrome, this is to include a set of measures to improve ongoing awareness of property owners and residents of the Caloundra Aerodrome

(h) acknowledge the content and intent of the 1992 Commonwealth Government deed prepared for the Caloundra Aerodrome

Related Documentation

Proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042

Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2013

Caloundra Aerodrome Business Plan 2018

Regional Economic Development Strategy 2013-2033 (REDS)

Critical Dates

Investment in the future of the Aerodrome is critical for many of the current lessees who have been seeking to expand and grow their operations for some time, as they have contracts and funding commitments contingent on their expansion. Likewise, establishing a clear future for the Aerodrome is an important component in supporting the investment by new business entrants seeking to establish at this facility. There has not however, been land readily available for development and any expansion of the development footprint has been in abeyance pending a new Master Plan being completed. Therefore, there is an expectation by some tenants and potential new business entrants that once the proposed Master Plan is endorsed, Council will move to establish new developable areas as soon as possible.

Additionally, the proposed Caloundra Aerodrome Master Plan 2042 was a funded commitment in the 2021-2022 financial year. The Master Plan should therefore be finalised in order to facilitate implementation planning in a timely manner (eg. forward capital works program development, operational resource allocation etc).

Implementation

Should the recommendations in this Report be accepted by Council, it is noted the Chief Executive Officer will authorise the Property Management Branch to proceed to implement the recommendations, including the introduction of user fees, ongoing management of leases, assessment of funding and delivery mechanisms for capital works, development of forward capital budgets and refinement of operational priorities.

Ordinary Meeting Agenda 17 November 2022

8.11 Resilient Homes Fund - Voluntary Home Buy Back Program

File No: F22/00491

Author: Head of Strategic Property

Business Performance Group

Attachments: Att 1 - Tranche 1 Subject Properties - Confidential

purpose

The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s authorisation of the Chief Executive Officer to enter into contracts of sale to acquire properties under the Voluntary Home Buy Back program, with the acquisition of these properties funded by the Resilient Homes Fund administered by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA). The properties to be acquired are advised to Council by the QRA.

Subject to Council accepting the recommendations in this report, there are currently four properties proposed for acquisition in the first tranche presented to Council by the QRA.

In preparing this report, the Chief Executive Officer recommends that Attachment 1- Tranche 1 Subject Properties be considered as confidential in accordance with section 254J(3)(g) of the Local Government Regulation 2012 as the attachment contains information relating to negotiations of a commercial matter involving the local government for which a public discussion would be likely to prejudice the interests of the local government.

Executive Summary

Funding is available to assist eligible homeowners to repair (enhancing resilience), retrofit, or raise flood affected homes. In addition, the Fund also provides a dedicated program which affords the opportunity for some property owners who meet specific criteria to have their homes purchased under the Voluntary Home Buy Back program.

There is $350 million available for the voluntary purchase of flood-impacted homes as part of the $741 million Resilient Homes Fund. The Resilient Homes Fund is a two-year program and homes may be purchased at any point during that time.

Buy backs are considered on a case-by-case basis and are voluntary. The intent of the acquisitions is to mitigate risk to life and property in areas that are susceptible to frequent and severe flooding.

As indicated above, there is a defined amount of funding available under the Voluntary Home Buy Back program, so funding will be prioritised based on the severity of impact from the most recent events, the overall flood risk to the property and socio-economic factors.

Notwithstanding the acquisition of properties identified through the Voluntary Home Buy Back program will be funded from the Resilient Homes Fund, Council is the purchaser and will execute the contracts of sale. Authorisation is required from Council for the Chief Executive Officer to enter into these contracts, given there is no direct allocation for these acquisitions in Council’s adopted budget. Accordingly, this report proposes that the Chief Executive Officer be authorised to acquire properties that are advised to Council by the QRA for acquisition under the Voluntary Home Buy Back program.

The QRA has commenced contacting registered property owners to confirm their interest in the Voluntary Home Buy Back program and is proceeding with independent property valuation reports of eligible properties.

To date, four properties within the Sunshine Coast Council local government area (LGA) have been identified as eligible under the Voluntary Home Buy Back program. These properties are referred to as Tranche 1 and are identified in confidential Attachment 1. The next step in the process is for the QRA to make formal written offers to the land owners once authority is in place for Council to execute the contracts.

Once the acquisition of these properties has been settled, Council will need to ensure all buildings are demolished/removed from the property and the land is rehabilitated. Where these works are undertaken by Council, actual eligible costs will be reimbursed by the QRA following lodgement of a submission.

Council will also be required to rezone the land for non-habitable uses in accordance with Council’s obligations under the Resilient Homes Fund criteria.

Should Council wish to re-purpose the land for an acceptable non-habitable use (eg. public park) then the costs associated with delivering the repurposed site would need to be met by Council.

Officer Recommendation

That Council:

(a) receive and note the report titled “Resilient Homes Fund - Voluntary Home Buy Back Program”

(b) resolve to authorise the Chief Executive Officer to enter into contracts of sale to purchase properties approved for acquisition by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority under the Voluntary Home Buy Back Program, subject to Council entering into a funding agreement with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority

(c) authorise the Chief Executive Officer to take the necessary action in order to implement Council’s decision in respect of (b) above, including but not limited to, making, amending and discharging the contractual arrangement/s and

(d) authorise the Chief Executive Officer to publicly release the property details once the ownership of the properties has transferred to Council.

Finance and Resourcing

Expenses relating to the acquisition of properties under the Voluntary Home Buy-Back program are included in the Resilient Homes Fund, which is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Conveyancing and other associated costs will also be recoverable costs through the Resilient Homes Fund.

Following acquisition of a property under the Voluntary Home Buy-Back program, Council is required to secure the property, arrange for the residence on the property to be demolished, the land cleared and rehabilitation undertaken. These costs are also recoverable through the Resilient Homes Fund, as are the costs of engaging a project manager to undertake the work if required.

The QRA has advised that to date, an initial $4 million in funding is allocated for the acquisition of four properties in the Sunshine Coast Council LGA. Once a funding agreement is signed between Council and the QRA, 30% of the $4 million will be paid as an upfront lump sum to Council. Council will then be paid instalment payments (up to a further 60% of the funds required) for expenditure incurred, with the final 10% paid to Council when the acquisitions are finalised. The QRA has also advised that an additional allowance for expenditure which goes over and above the initial $4 million, if required, as a contingency fund of up to $660,000.

Council will be required to submit monthly reports to the QRA on progress and costs spent.

Corporate Plan

Corporate Plan Goal: Our environment and liveability

Outcome: 2.1 - A resilient region shaped by clever planning and good design.

Operational Activity: 2.1.9 - Provide effective, timely and coordinated planning, preparedness, response and recovery for the region in response to disaster events and undertake a review of Council's Local Disaster Management Plan.

Consultation

Councillor Consultation

· Mayor, Mark Jamieson

· Councillor Rick Baberowski, Division 1

· Councillor Maria Suarez, Division 9

· Councillor David Law, Division 10

Internal Consultation

· Coordinator Disaster Management

· Coordinator Flooding & Stormwater Policy & Planning

· Manager Strategic Planning

· Manager Transport and Infrastructure Planning

· Manager Environment & Sustainability Policy

· Manager Parks and Gardens

· Natural Areas Manager

· Group Executive Customer & Planning Services

· Group Executive Liveability and Natural Assets

· Chief Strategy Officer

· Senior Solicitor, Property & Commercial

· Acting Building and Facilities Assets Manager

· Chief Financial Officer

· Chief of Staff

External Consultation

The QRA contacted owners of all properties that meet the criteria for the Resilient Homes Fund to notify them of the program. Owners may register for inclusion in the program and can select from the following categories (more than one (1) category can be selected):

· Voluntary Home Buy-Back

· Resilient Retrofit Program and

· Home Raising Program.

Once the interest is registered in the buy-back option, the State Government assesses whether the property is eligible and satisfies the guidelines for the Voluntary Home Buy-Back program. The QRA also arranges independent market valuations of the eligible properties.

Council promoted the Resilient Homes Fund to the community via social media, OurSC Story and Councillor columns. Council also wrote to the owners of 265 priority properties promoting the Resilient Homes Fund.

Community Engagement

Under the Resilient Homes Fund, the Queensland Government (Queensland Reconstruction Authority and the Department of Energy and Public Works) has undertaken community engagement and awareness activities to promote the Program to flood impacted homeowners affected by the events of 2022.

During the three months and six months Damage Assessment and Reconstruction Monitoring phases, the Resilient Homes Fund was promoted through conversations on site and information flyers. Partnering with the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economies, information about the Resilient Homes Fund was shared with those home owners experiencing hardship.

Numerous media releases, Facebook and social media posts and eNewsletters have targeted homeowners in the eligible local government areas, while information for homeowners is promoted through a dedicated webpage.

Proposal

Queensland has recently experienced extraordinary levels of rainfall and flooding. To help people living in Queensland recover quickly and become more resilient to future flooding, the Queensland and Australian Governments have introduced a $741 million Resilient Homes Fund. The resilience program is the largest of its kind to ever be delivered in Australia. The intent of this fund is to help Queenslanders across 39 local government areas whose homes were impacted by the 2021-2022 floods.

Buy backs will be considered on a case-by-case basis and are voluntary. The intent of the acquisitions is to mitigate risk to life and property in areas that are susceptible to frequent and severe flooding.

The Voluntary Home Buy Back program will cover costs for homeowners and participating Councils including:

• independent valuation of the property

• costs associated with the sale of the property such as legal costs related to conveyancing

• costs for home demolition

• costs for land rehabilitation and re-zoning to non-habitable uses.

The first step in the process under the buy back program is for homeowners to register their interest. An initial eligibility check is undertaken by the QRA and then a home assessment is completed to confirm eligibility and identify suitable resilience options. Council’s Flooding & Stormwater Policy & Planning team has been involved with assessing the prioritisation of the properties. If buy back is noted as an option by the assessor, then the QRA arranges an independent property valuation to determine the fair and reasonable sale price.

To date, four properties within the Sunshine Coast Council LGA have been identified as eligible under the Voluntary Home Buy Back program. These properties are referred to as Tranche 1 and can be found in confidential Attachment 1. The QRA is in the process of obtaining independent valuations of the properties and is intending to make formal written offers to the registered owners to purchase as soon as possible.

Once a written offer from the QRA is accepted by an owner, QRA’s conveyancers will draft Contracts which will then be reviewed by Council’s Legal Services team prior to execution.

Legal

Council’s Legal Services Branch has been consulted and to date, has not identified any significant risk other than the ongoing cost to Council to establish and maintain the sites for future uses.

Policy

Under Council’s Purchase of Land and Conveyancing delegation, the Chief Executive Officer may make, amend or discharge a contract for the purchase of land subject to a range of conditions. One of those conditions is that funds have been provided for in the approved annual budget or by Council resolution to meet the expenditure value.

In this instance, the circumstances do not strictly comply with the provisions of the existing delegation because Council has not made provision in its adopted budget for 2022-23 for the acquisition of properties. Hence, this report seeks a specific authority from Council for the Chief Executive Officer to enter into contracts of sale to acquire properties, where the proposed properties have been advised to Council by the QRA for acquisition under the Voluntary Home Buy Back program.

Risk

The key risks associated with not proceeding as proposed in this report are that:

1. Impacted and eligible property owners are not able to access the Buy Back Program – and the associated risks for these property owners continuing to be exposed to the impacts of flooding, particularly with the current forecasts for the summer season;

2. Council not receiving reimbursement of costs in a timely manner by the QRA; and/or

3. The ongoing cost to Council should it retain the acquired properties for re-purposing for an alternative, acceptable and non-habitable use (eg. public park).

Risks (1) and (2) can be mitigated by proceeding to grant the recommended authorisation to the Chief Executive Officer and with the reliance on that authorisation being subject to Council entering into a funding agreement with the QRA.

Risk (3) is largely unavoidable if Council is to participate in the Voluntary Home Buy Back program on behalf of its community. The ongoing costs to maintain acquired properties will need to be considered in the context of formulating the 2023-2024 budget - unless a decision is made to grant a long-term lease of the acquired property to an adjacent property owner for non-habitable uses. In this scenario, Council would seek to transfer the maintenance costs associated with the property to the lessee.

Previous Council Resolution

There are no previous Council resolutions relevant to this report.

Related Documentation

· Queensland Reconstruction Authority, Resilient Home Fund, Voluntary Home Buy Back Program - Local Government Program Guidelines.

· Council delegation to the Chief Executive Officer – C-031-2019 – Purchase of Land and Conveyancing

Critical Dates

The QRA is unable to provide written offers to eligible property owners without Council’s approval, as Council will be required to execute the contracts and take on ownership of the land. The QRA has already commenced acquiring properties in other LGA’s and are keen to issue formal letters of offer for the Tranche 1 properties within the Sunshine Coast Council LGA.

A decision on this report is required at the earliest opportunity so that Council can participate in the Voluntary Home Buy Back program on behalf of its community.

Implementation

Should the recommendations in this report be accepted by Council, the Chief Executive Officer will:

· Delegate to the Strategic Property team to finalise the acquisitions and ensure the requirements of the Voluntary Home Buy Back program are adhered to.

· The Strategic Planning Team will be responsible for rezoning the land for non-habitable uses in accordance with Council’s obligations under the Resilient Homes Fund criteria.

· The Facilities Management team will be required to arrange demolition of the buildings on the subject properties.

· A working group with the relevant operational teams within Council will be established to plan for the future use of the properties.

· Inform the community of the purchases once they have transferred into Council’s ownership.