From the meeting: August 23, 2022
Two new staff submit their pecuniary interest details
News from the August 23, 2022 council under administration meeting
They are:
1 Director Environment and Planning, Alice Howe; and
2 Director Community and Recreation Services, Melanie Smith.
Council’s Code of Conduct requires certain staff to lodge pecuniary interest disclosure forms and those forms lodged with the CEO are to be tabled at a Council meeting.
The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) defines Pecuniary Interest Disclosure Returns as open access information.
Section 6 of the Act provides for the mandatory proactive release of open access information.
The GIPA Act further provides that open access information must be made publicly available free of charge on Council’s website.
Ex-councillors’ names removed from advisory committee membership
Council updates it membership list and terms of reference for the eight advisory committees that are still meeting.
They are:
• Catchments to Coast Advisory Committee (formerly the Catchments and Coast
Committee Tuggerah Lakes and Catchments and Coast Committee Brisbane Water/Gosford Lagoons)
• Coastal Open Space System (COSS) Committee
• Heritage and Culture Advisory Committee (formerly Heritage Advisory Committee)
• Mangrove Mountain and Spencer Advisory Committee
• Pedestrian Access and Mobility Advisory Committee
• Social Inclusion Advisory Committee
• Status of Women Advisory Group
• Water Management Advisory Committee
Community grants announced
Energy provider lost its mojo
Council had to find a new energy provider after Mojo East advised its intention to cease service.On 15 July 2022, citing market instability and subsequent financial impact, Mojo East formally advised of intention to cease service provision, triggering statutory obligations of the Australian Energy Regulator to intervene.
The Australian Energy Regulator determined that the actions constituted a Retailer of Last Resort (‘ROLR’) event resulting in Council’s energy supply being passed across to Energy Australia on default rates.
To reduce Council’s exposure to the default rates offered by Energy Australia as the ROLR, which council said were “inflated”, Council enacted emergency procurement provisions and initiated a selective tender process.
Requests were sent to 13 energy retailers for short term electricity agreements.
Council received 8 responses and determined that a two-year proposal submitted by Diamond Energy Pty Ltd was the most advantageous to Council.
The tender Evaluation and Recommendation Report remains confidential.
Administrator Rik Hart adopted the recommendation to accept the Diamond Energy proposal.
Variations to Development Standards – April to June 2022
Between 1 April and 30 June 2022, 709 DAs were lodged with Council and 611 applications were determined.
Of the 611 DAs determined, 22 had a variation to relevant development standards.
Variations to Development Standards
The following consents were granted between 1 April and 30 June 2022 that included a variation to a development standard within the Gosford Local Environmental Plan (LEP) (no
variations are reported for the Wyong LEP or other relevant instruments):
• 20 DAs determined by Central Coast staff;
• 2 DAs determined by Local Planning Panel; and
• 0 DAs by Regional Planning Panel.
Plumbing and Drainage Inspection Fees for sewer connections adopted
