Community & Business
30 August, 2024
August council meeting notes
Gilgandra Shire Council (GSC) held their monthly council meeting on Tuesday August 20.
Gilgandra Shire Council (GSC) held their monthly council meeting on Tuesday August 20.
Outdoor Staff Annual Picnic Day
Council has resolved to hold the annual Outdoor Staff Picnic Day on Friday, October 4.
The outdoor staff picnic committee wrote to council:
“[We] request permission to hold [our] annual picnic day on Friday 4 October, 2024. The venue for the picnic will be the Gilgandra Services Club and, in line with previous years, we ask that council donates $200 towards [the picnic].
“An invitation is extended to the Mayor and Councillors to attend the picnic, and we ask that those attending advise council’s customer service staff to assist with catering.”
Council will also confirm a general shutdown on Friday, October 4 for the picnic day.
A total of $200 has been allocated towards the picnic from the Contributions and Donations allocation.
Sewer Treatment Plant Project Update
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has advised council that Section 60 approval for the Gilgandra Sewage Treatment Plant will be granted, so long as a secondary condition can be met.
A secondary Section 60 approval will be needed for the effluent irrigation scheme in Bowenleigh, although no reason was given for this condition along with a six-month time limit.
Section 60 states that “A council must not, except [approved] by the Minister for Water, Property and Housing, do any of the following: construct or extend any [water treatment] works, or provide sewage from its area to be discharged, treated or supplied to any person.”
The Sewer Treatment Plant Project has been largely funded under the Safe and Secure Water Program, run by the State Government.
Council has continually found issue in moving the project forward, as within the quality assurance framework of the Program, council cannot meet requirements for approval without a budget but cannot accurately develop a budget without Ministerial Approval.
Fortunately, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water have assured that they will supply such approval via letter, allowing council to confirm their budget and begin moving the project onto its next stage.
This will include revisiting estimated costs, preparing tender documents, working through Department checklists, and acquiring further Section 60 approval as stated above.
Traffic Management for Upcoming Community Events
Council has moved to implement traffic control for both Goin’ to Gil and Under the Gums.
Typically, the traffic control for such event are to be considered and recommended by the Local Traffic Committee (LTC) before being endorsed by council.
However, due to the timing of the elections this year, the process was moved forward: intended traffic control has been circulated via email to LTC members and approved unanimously.
Myrtle St Development Application
A Development Application (DA) was submitted for five multi-dwellings and an associated six lot community title subdivision at 113 Myrtle St.
The applicant has requested a variation to the standards imposed by the Development Control Plan 2011 (DCP).
The DCP requires that “bedrooms of one dwelling do not share walls with living rooms or garages of adjacent dwellings,” based on privacy concerns.
Multiple of the proposed dwellings share a wall between bedrooms and adjoined dwellings living rooms in contradiction with this standard.
The applicant wrote to council: “The single storey form of development means that some bedrooms will share party walls (separation walls) with adjoining living rooms. Appropriate construction methods are to be implemented to minimise noise transmission between the town housing to achieve a high level of resident amenity.”
Council considers it reasonable to allow the variation to the DCP, on the grounds that separation walls will be built up to code with sound insulation, and will maintain “structural adequacy and integrity” for 60 minutes in case of a fire.
Both conditions are requirements of the Building Code of Australia 2022.
