ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
LATROBE City Council held its last monthly meeting for the year on Monday, December 4.
Councillor Darren Howe’s first ordinary meeting as Mayor was short by LCC standards, with the meeting’s run time at three-and-a-half hours.
All councillors attended except Cr Melissa Ferguson after the recent death of her mother.
Cr Dale Harriman attended the meeting online and later left due to illness.
A few “Madame Mayors” were accidentally said as the council continued to adjust to the shift of the new Mayor Howe.
Here were some key take-outs from the meeting.
Community grant programs
COUNCIL agreed to endorse changes to the Community Grant Program. The following modifications increase funding sources and make them available to community organisations:
The Capital Works Major Grant was introduced;
The replacement of Minor Equipment and Community Sponsorship Minor with a Community Essentials – Quick Response Grant, and;
Amalgamation of Community Wellbeing and Community Sponsorship.
Sustainability Action Plan 2023-2033
COUNCIL endorsed the presented Sustainability Action Plan 2023-2033.
The plan, first presented in August, has undergone consultation and has been updated with the community’s minor adjustments.
The new plan sets out actions Towards Net Zero, adapting to a changing climate, a cleaner, greener Latrobe City, connecting community with nature and creating a circular economy.
Cr Dan Clancey said with technology rapidly transforming, the plan might be solid for now but should be reviewed within five years’ time to ensure council stayed up to date with new energy advancements.
Youth Policy
THE controversial Youth Policy was again a matter up for debate – with two public speakers arguing their side of the coin.
Council officer’s Youth Policy Review suggests council adopts the new Youth Policy for the next four years and revoke all other previous versions.
The policy outlines Latrobe City’s commitment to young people aged 12 to 25 years. It provides guidance around the programs, projects, participation and engagement for young people across the municipality.
However, community concerns were raised at both the November and December meetings in regard to the term “identity” and sharing public spaces with transgender-identifying people.
Though council has assured on multiple occasions the Youth Policy has nothing to do with public changing rooms or toilet facilities, the gender debate continued during public speaking time.
As the LCC Youth Policy states, the policy is for, “Young people of all abilities, sexualities and identities” who have an essential contribution to make to Latrobe City.
The policy aims are:
Increased educational and employment opportunities;
Engagement, advocacy and impacting council decisions;
Providing information, increasing leadership capacity, volunteerism and civic participation, and;
Providing young people with access to safe places and experiences.
Cr Harriman was out of the room due to a conflict of interest and Cr Gibson abstained from the vote. Nevertheless, the rest of council voted to approve the new Youth Policy that was made in consultation with the municipality’s young people.
Henry Street, Traralgon parking trial
THE Henry Street, Traralgon Resident Exemption Parking Permit Trial, which has been running since October 2022, has been evaluated.
Councillors unanimously voted to extend the resident-exempt parking zone trial along Henry St until the completion of the Car Parking Management Policy. They will expect to receive a report on that policy at a future date.
Between January 2023 and March 2023, parking surveys were done eight times between 11am and 1pm, which corresponds to peak parking demand in the Traralgon activity centre.
According to the report, up to 81 per cent fewer on-street parking spots were used in the trial area than there was a year before, and 60 per cent of the spaces were vacant.
As a result, the average automobile space used has decreased from 32 per cent to 10 per cent overall.
Seeking public feedback, council received 16 responses: 13 were in support of the continuation of 2P parking restrictions, and 14 were in support of continuing resident permits.
Cr Gibson was in full support of extending the parking zone trial, and said: “The community is happy with what we’re doing. Why stuff it up now?”
New group formed
CR Clancey thanked the work of the Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee, which has helped council navigate its multicultural demography for a long time.
With the committee’s expiration date back in August, council voted that the committee should be transformed into an engagement group.
But why?
The engagement group structure is less formal than an advisory committee and focuses on informing operational matters such as the delivery of programs and services.
Members of the committee will be notified of the decision, and the Cultural Diversity Community Engagement Group will be formed.
Budget submissions
THE budget submission is a compilation of council’s key concerns that should be prioritised by the state and federal governments.
Within the budget submissions, officers have maintained council’s focus on the Traralgon Football-Netball Club Flood Recovery and Resilience project.
In the state submission, Latrobe City is advocating for:
Latrobe New Energy Future;
Victorian Aerospace Technology Precinct (VATP);
Flood Recovery and Resilience;
Inter-Township Trail Network;
Residential Development Precincts;
Latrobe’s Education and Health Clinic;
Traralgon Bypass;
Traralgon East West Link;
Moe Revitalisation Stage 3; and
Transport.
Federally, council will prioritise:
Latrobe New Energy Future;
Victorian Aerospace Technology Precinct (VATP);
Flood Recovery and Resilience;
Inter-Township Trail Network;
Residential Development Precincts, and;
Latrobe’s Education and Health Clinic.
Traralgon West development
AN alternate motion moved by Cr Kellie O’Callaghan was to endorse the draft Traralgon West Development Plan Overlay.
Cr O’Callghan’s motion aimed to ensure a full report of concerns from Traralgon Golf Club.
The Traralgon Golf Club was alarmed when the rezoning amendment was first announced on council’s agenda.
Members and directors at the golf club expressed their concerns at the potential threat of their club’s future, after the area had been identified as suitable as residential land use.
The concerns that the Traralgon Golf Club voiced was the threat of relocation and increased costs.
The development plan overlay covers 331 hectares all the way to Latrobe Regional Airport.
Cr Graeme Middlemiss reassured that the amendment did not mean the end of the golf course.
“I don’t support a potential pathway to residential development for the golf course. I don’t think that will be useful or helpful in terms of residential development … the councillors are not of that view,” he said.
“I believe the concern in the community as such that it is now worthwhile going ahead and receiving a report around the options with the golf club.”
Cr Gibson said: “We’ve had speakers last month and this month saying ‘it isn’t right then and it surely isn’t right now'”.
Nevertheless, the alternate motion was carried, with Crs O’Callaghan, Tracie Lund, Clancey, Middlemiss, Bradley Law and Howe voting in favour.
Cr Clancey said the last council meeting was quite tumultuous.
“Quite light-heartedly, I spoke to a friend of mine last month and I said ‘council meeting felt like an episode from The Castle’,” he said.
“People were standing in front of us and saying ‘Don’t do it, don’t tear down our things’ … there was nothing in our report that said we were going to.
“I think we do need to ensure that the golf club has a say in this.”
Council will receive a report in relation to how the concerns raised by the Traralgon Golf Club could be addressed.
Philip Parade development
COUNCIL unanimously agreed to begin to consider a combined planning scheme amendment and planning permit application lodged by Millar Merrigan on behalf of the Gippsland Development Group for land in Philip Parade, Churchill.
The land is 4.2 hectares in size and will require rezoning to pursue residential development.
Sports lighting replacements
COUNCIL unanimously endorsed the replacement of all sports lighting at the Yinnar Recreation Reserve (Main Oval), Boolarra Recreation Reserve (Main Oval), Glengarry Recreation Reserve (Main Oval) and Harold Preston Reserve (West Pitch 1) with compliant training lighting for each surfaces primary sport.
Council will allocate $998,000 (plus GST) from existing cash reserve accounts to deliver the projects.
Council will endorse the application to the 2023-24 local sports infrastructure fund for new sports field lighting at Toners Lane Reserve (the main baseball pitch) and updating the recreation reserve master plan. Council will also allocate $278,930 from cash reserve accounts to contribute to their ratio of the projects funding.
Social media policy
COUNCIL has approved a new social media policy.
Cr Clancey said that social media had evolved, and in the past 10 years, the way the community communicates with council had also changed.
By guiding the appropriate use of social media platforms and tools by council staff, contractors, agents, and volunteers who use social media on behalf of Latrobe City Council, the policy aims to provide a framework that protects each person’s reputation and integrity as well as the reputation and integrity of Latrobe City Council.
The policy will be made available on council’s website.
