Decision details

Moved by Councillor Jarrett, seconded by Councillor Ellsmore –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         Christmas in Pyrmont is an annual street fair organised by Pyrmont and Ultimo residents;

(ii)        it has been a fixture within the Pyrmont community since 2013, each year increasing in size and popularity, and bringing the community closer together;

(iii)      Christmas in Pyrmont celebrates the festive season and promotes a sense of community, while raising funds and awareness around local charities, having raised and distributed over $700,000 to local charities since its inception;

(iv)      the City of Sydney has been providing an annual grant of $15,000 to Christmas in Pyrmont since its inception in 2013;

(v)       previous grant applicants have raised concerns that the current grant application and acquittal process at the City of Sydney is long, complicated and time-consuming and noted that it was a particularly difficult and onerous task for not-for-profits and community groups who rely on sparse amounts of volunteers to complete it;

(vi)      due to the growth in size and popularity of Christmas in Pyrmont and the nature of its reliance upon volunteers, the Christmas in Pyrmont Committee has decided not to apply for a City of Sydney grant for its 2023 event; and

(vii)     for well-established community events which have previously been successful grant recipients like Christmas in Pyrmont, the many hours taken to annually fill out the City’s grant and acquittal forms could be better spent connecting with the community and local businesses; and

(B)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         investigate the City’s ability to remove the unnecessary red-tape surrounding the City’s grants and acquittal process for well-established community-run events which continue to add value to the City’s social and economic life;

(ii)        investigate the implementation of a new grants and acquittal process which simplifies and removes the complexities and repetition of the current process for applicants who are seeking to re-apply for a grant of which they have previously been an annual recipient; and

(iii)      consult previous grant recipients, including the Christmas in Pyrmont Committee, to establish the particularities of what needs to be removed and/or simplified in the City’s current grants and acquittals forms in order to make the new application and acquittal process more user friendly and promote the City’s willingness to provide timely and efficient grants and acquittal services to the community.

Amendment. Moved by Councillor Davis, seconded by Councillor Kok –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         Christmas in Pyrmont is an annual street fair organised by Pyrmont and Ultimo residents;

(ii)        it has been a fixture within the Pyrmont community since 2013, each year increasing in size and popularity, and bringing the community closer together;

(iii)      Christmas in Pyrmont celebrates the festive season and promotes a sense of community, while raising funds and awareness around local charities, having raised and distributed over $700,000 to local charities since its inception;

(iv)      the City of Sydney has previously provided annual grants of $15,000 to Christmas in Pyrmont since its inception in 2013;

(v)       Christmas in Pyrmont Inc’s most recent grant application in July 2018 sought funding of $90,000 over three years, comprising funding of $30,000 in each year of this period. This represented 25.6 per cent of its total estimated expenditure;

(vi)      this application resulted in Christmas in Pyrmont Inc receiving $48,000 for the three year period, or $16,000 a year;

(vii)     the application, assessment and acquittal process relating to this grant were conducted under the City of Sydney’s previous Grants and Sponsorships Policy and Guidelines;

(viii)    on 22 August 2022, Council adopted a revised previous Grants and Sponsorships Policy and Guidelines;

(ix)      the application, assessment and acquittal process has been updated to reflect the new policy, with City staff continuing to make refinements following feedback from grant applicants and recipients;

(x)       the City’s grants application, assessment and acquittals process:

(a)       enables the City to ensure that projects, projects and events funded through the City’s grants and sponsorships programs deliver benefit to the community and represent value for money;

(b)       enables grant recipients to demonstrate that projects, programs and events supported by City of Sydney funding are well-managed, accord with the City’s strategic priorities and achieve worthwhile and agreed outcomes; and

(c)       protect and ensure the integrity and public reputation of the City’s grants and sponsorships programs, which is in the direct interest of grant recipients;

(xi)      some previous grant applicants have raised concerns that the current grant application and acquittal process at the City of Sydney is long, complicated and time-consuming and noted that it was a particularly difficult and onerous task for not-for-profits and community groups who rely on sparse amounts of volunteers to complete it;

(xii)     due to the growth in size and popularity of Christmas in Pyrmont and the nature of its reliance upon volunteers, the Christmas in Pyrmont Committee has decided not to apply for a City of Sydney grant for its 2023 event;

(xiii)    all City of Sydney grant recipients are required to acquit their grants following the completion of their project, program or event via an online grants acquittal form, which includes information transferred from their initial applications;

(xiv)    grants acquittals ensure that projects, programs and events receiving City of Sydney Grants have been delivered and the grant funding has been expended responsibly;

(xv)     grants acquittals provide information which assists the City when responding to Council, community or the media inquiries about grants programs;

(xvi)    Christmas in Pyrmont Inc. was required to answer 31 questions contained in the acquittal form and raised concerns about three questions which they suggested were impossible to answer; and

(B)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to consider the feedback provided by Christmas in Pyrmont Inc, with a view to ensuring that questions asked on acquittal forms are appropriate and essential to ensuring whether the project, program or event has achieved its objectives and the City has received value for money.

The amendment was carried on the following show of hands –

Ayes (6)     The Chair (the Lord Mayor), Councillors Chan, Davis, Kok, Scott and Scully

Noes (4)     Councillors Ellsmore, Gannon, Jarrett and Weldon.

Amendment carried.

Amended motion carried unanimously.

X086657

Adjournment

At this stage of the meeting, at 6.50pm, it was moved by the Chair (the Lord Mayor), seconded by Councillor Scully –

That the meeting be adjourned for approximately 15 minutes.

Carried unanimously.

All Councillors were present at the resumption of the meeting of Council at 7.10pm.