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Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee - Appointment of Interim Chairperson

Decision Maker: Council

Decision status: Recommendations Determined

Decision:

Memorandum by the Chief Executive Officer

To Council:

The Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee is a statutory committee, established under the Roads Act 1993 and in accordance with administrative procedures required by Transport for NSW (formerly Roads and Maritime Services).

Councils have been delegated certain powers by Transport for NSW regarding the regulation of traffic on local roads. A condition of this delegation is that councils must take into account the advice of their Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee before exercising these powers.

The Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee has no decision-making powers. It is primarily a technical review body which is required to advise Council and City staff on traffic-related matters. Council and City staff are therefore not bound or required to implement a proposal supported by the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee. Any proposal supported by the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee must be approved by either the elected Council or authorised City staff (depending on the nature of the proposal) if it is to be implemented. This can only be done when the advice of the Committee is unanimous. Where the advice of the Committee is not unanimous, Council must separately notify and obtain the endorsement of Transport for NSW and NSW Police.

The Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee is made up of four formal (voting) members as follows:

·                one representative of Council (Chairperson or alternate Chairperson);

·                one representative of NSW Police;

·                one representative of Transport for NSW;

·                the local State Member of Parliament (MP) or their nominee;

·                one representative of a relevant NSW Government agency (where applicable)*.

Representatives of NSW Police and State MPs can only vote on matters in their respective command or electorate.

*The NSW Government agencies are formal (voting) members for matters relating to roads over which they have jurisdiction only (for example, Property NSW / Place Management NSW / Infrastructure NSW). The City of Sydney Council is not a formal (voting) member for these matters.

The Chairperson and alternate Chairperson are to be determined by Council, and Council’s representative may be any Councillor or City staff. Council (in consultation with the formal members of the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee) may also decide to have additional informal (non-voting) representatives who can provide non-binding input on matters under consideration. Informal (non-voting) members of the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee are as follows:

·                Transit Systems representative;

·                Transport Workers Union representative;

·                Cycling Representative appointed by the Lord Mayor;

·                Pedestrian Representative appointed by Council; and

·                Local Health District Representative appointed by Council.

City staff convene meetings and provide administrative support for the Committee, including the preparation of agendas, reports and minutes, and formally represent Council when both the Chairperson and the alternate Chairperson are absent.

At the Council meeting of 21 September 2021, Councillor Philip Thalis and Councillor Linda Scott were appointed Chairperson and alternate Chairperson of the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee respectively for a term of office ending on the day appointed for the next ordinary election of Council, namely 4 December 2021.

Arrangements for the Post-2021 Local Government Election Period

On 24 July 2021, the Minister for Local Government announced that the September 2021 local government elections would be postponed to address the risks posed by the Delta outbreak of Covid-19 in Greater Sydney. A new date for the local government elections has been set for Saturday 4 December 2021.

The NSW Electoral Commission and Office of Local Government have advised that the finalisation of election results will most likely be between 21 and 23 December 2021.

There will be no councillors in office between at least 4 December 2021 and 21 December 2021 (which is the first day on which the polls may be declared).

There are currently no meetings of the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee scheduled for December 2021 or January 2022. However, in order to facilitate any extraordinary meetings of the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee during this period, it is considered prudent that an interim Chairperson be appointed. It is noted that matters may need to be urgently considered in this period in relation to, for example, traffic control arrangements for New Year's Eve and other events being held over the summer period. These arrangements may need to be considered at short notice should public health orders or concerns require a variation to currently anticipated traffic control measures.

In order to ensure that there will be capacity to hold a Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee during this period should one be required, it is recommended that the Chief Executive Officer be appointed as interim Chairperson of the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee for the period 4 December 2021 to the day of the post-election extraordinary meeting of Council, when a Councillor Chairperson and alternate Chairperson will be appointed.

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

It is resolved that Council:

(A)      note the Policies and Procedures of the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee, as shown at Attachment A to the subject memorandum;

(B)      note the informal (non-voting) representatives to the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee, as outlined in the subject memorandum;

(C)      appoint the Chief Executive Officer as the Interim Chairperson of the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee for a term commencing 4 December 2021 and ending on the day of the post-election extraordinary meeting of Council; and

(D)      note that a CEO Update will be provided in relation to any matters dealt with by the Local Pedestrian, Cycling and Traffic Calming Committee during this period.

Carried unanimously.

S062388

 

Report author: Erin Cashman

Publication date: 15/11/2021

Date of decision: 15/11/2021

Decided at meeting: 15/11/2021 - Council

Accompanying Documents: