Decision details

Memorandum by the Chief Executive Officer

To Council:

The Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) is constituted by the City of Sydney Act 1988 (the Act).

Section 34(1) of the Act provides that the Committee shall consist of seven members:

(a)       the Lord Mayor of Sydney;

(b)       two councillors of the City of Sydney elected by the City Council; and

(c)       four persons (two of whom are senior State government employees and two of whom are not State or local government employees) appointed by the Minister administering Part 4 of the Planning Act, each having expertise in at least one of architecture, building, civic design, construction, engineering, transport, tourism, the arts, planning or heritage.

The persons currently appointed by the Minister pursuant to clause (c) are Ms Abbie Galvin, Ms Alex O'Mara, Mr Dick Persson AM and Mr Richard Horne.

Previously, the Council has chosen to hold a separate election for each of the two Council-elected members; the elections were by open, exhaustive voting (that is, by a show of hands or similar means for candidates duly nominated).

At the Council meeting of 9 September 2019, Council elected Councillors Philip Thalis and Jess Scully to the two positions on the Central Sydney Planning Committee, effective immediately until the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council.

The Act provides that Council may appoint an alternate for each of the elected members. At the Council meeting of 9 September 2019, Council appointed Councillor Robert Kok as alternate to Councillor Thalis and Councillor Linda Scott as alternate to Councillor Scully until the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council.

Postponement of Local Government Elections

In March 2020, the Minister for Local Government announced that the September 2020 local government elections would be postponed to address the risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Local Government Act 1993 has been amended to confer on the Minister, a time-limited power to postpone council elections.

The official Order under the Local Government Act 1993 deferring the local government election from 12 September 2020 for twelve months was made on 12 June 2020. The NSW Government has announced that the local government elections will be held on 4 September 2021.

Accordingly, given the postponement of the local government election, it is appropriate that Council declare the offices of Central Sydney Planning Committee member vacant to enable it to elect Central Sydney Planning Committee members for a new term of office commencing immediately and ending on the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council, currently scheduled to be held in September 2021.

Recommendation

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council declare the offices of Central Sydney Planning Committee member vacant effective immediately;

(B)      Council elect two Councillors to be members of the Central Sydney Planning Committee commencing immediately following the election and ending on the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council;

(C)      the method of voting be open, exhaustive voting;

(D)      the Chief Executive Officer conduct the election forthwith; and

(E)      Council appoint alternates for each member elected.

MONICA BARONE

Chief Executive Officer

Moved by the Chair (the Lord Mayor), seconded by Councillor Kok –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council declare the offices of Central Sydney Planning Committee member vacant effective immediately;

(B)      Council elect two Councillors to be members of the Central Sydney Planning Committee commencing immediately following the election and ending on the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council;

(C)      the method of voting be open, exhaustive voting;

(D)      the Chief Executive Officer conduct the election forthwith; and

(E)      Council appoint alternates for each member elected.

Carried unanimously.

At this stage of the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer, as Returning Officer, called upon the Council Business Coordinator to assist with the conduct of the ballot.

The Council Business Coordinator invited nominations from Councillors for the first position on the Central Sydney Planning Committee.

The Council Business Coordinator announced that two nominations had been received, namely –

Councillor Craig Chung (nominated by Councillor Forster, seconded by Councillor Vithoulkas)

Councillor Philip Thalis (nominated by Councillor Scully, seconded by Councillor Miller)

Councillors Chung and Thalis in turn indicated acceptance of their nominations.

An election for the office of the first position on the Central Sydney Planning Committee was then conducted, in alphabetical order, and resulted as follows –

Councillor Chung – 4 votes

Councillor Thalis – 6 votes

The Council Business Coordinator then declared Councillor Thalis duly elected to the first position on the Central Sydney Planning Committee for a term commencing immediately and ending on the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council.

The Council Business Coordinator invited nominations from Councillors for the second position on the Central Sydney Planning Committee.

The Council Business Coordinator announced that two nominations had been received, namely –

Councillor Christine Forster (nominated by Councillor Chung, seconded by Councillor Phelps)

Councillor Jess Scully (nominated by Councillor Thalis, seconded by Councillor Kok)

Councillors Forster and Scully in turn indicated acceptance of their nominations.

An election for the office of the second position on the Central Sydney Planning Committee was then conducted, in alphabetical order, and resulted as follows –

Councillor Forster – 4 votes

Councillor Scully – 6 votes

The Council Business Coordinator then declared Councillor Scully duly elected to the second position on the Central Sydney Planning Committee for a term commencing immediately and ending on the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council.

The Council Business Coordinator invited nominations from Councillors for the first alternate position (to Councillor Thalis) on the Central Sydney Planning Committee.

The Council Business Co-ordinator announced that two nominations had been received, namely –

Councillor Linda Scott (nominated by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Scully)

Councillor Kerryn Phelps (nominated by Councillor Chung, seconded by Councillor Vithoulkas)

Councillors Scott and Phelps in turn indicated acceptance of their nominations.

An election for the office of the second position on the Central Sydney Planning Committee was then conducted, in alphabetical order, and resulted as follows –

Councillor Phelps – 4 votes

Councillor Scott – 6 votes

The Council Business Coordinator then declared Councillor Scott duly elected to the first alternate position (to Councillor Thalis) on the Central Sydney Planning Committee for a term commencing immediately and ending on the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council.

The Council Business Coordinator invited nominations from Councillors for the second alternate position (to Councillor Scully) on the Central Sydney Planning Committee.

The Council Business Coordinator announced that two nominations had been received, namely –

Councillor Robert Kok (nominated by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Thalis)

Councillor Angela Vithoulkas (nominated by Councillor Chung, seconded by Councillor Phelps)

Councillors Kok and Vithoulkas in turn indicated acceptance of their nominations.

An election for the office of the second position on the Central Sydney Planning Committee was then conducted, in alphabetical order, and resulted as follows –

Councillor Kok – 6 votes

Councillor Vithoulkas – 3 votes

The Council Business Coordinator then declared Councillor Kok duly elected to the second alternate position (to Councillor Scully) on the Central Sydney Planning Committee for a term commencing immediately and ending on the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council.

S062388