It is resolved
that:
(A)
Council note:
(i)
the information contained in the subject report at
Item 3 on the agenda of the Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders
Committee of 2 September 2019;
(ii)
the commercial information contained within
Confidential Attachment E to the subject report at Item 3 on the agenda of the
Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee of 2 September 2019, and
approve the additional granite paving works in lieu of cleansing services fees
owed by the Light Rail contractor;
(iii)
that the City advocated for light rail to ease
inner Sydney congestion for over a decade;
(iv)
that when the NSW Government agreed to the CBD and
South East Light Rail Project, the City responded by committing two hundred and
twenty million dollars, to achieve its vision of creating a world class boulevard
on George Street, with more street trees and new street furniture;
(v)
that when complete, the Light Rail will create more
space for pedestrians and cyclists and provide a calmer, less polluted and more
appealing environment for workers, visitors and residents;
(vi)
the proposed pedestrianisation of other sections of
George Street and Devonshire Street, which is in line with the original
Sustainable Sydney 2030 project idea and that the public domain works
associated with these additional pedestrianised sections will need to be funded
from future capital works budgets;
(vii)
that the City will undertake a robust stakeholder
consultation program for the proposed public domain works associated with these
additional pedestrianised sections prior to submitting a concept design report
for Council’s approval. Estimated costs of implementation will be provided in
the Council report;
(viii)
that residents, ratepayers, small businesses and
their families have been significantly impacted by the Light Rail Project
construction delays;
(ix)
that the Lord Mayor has repeatedly advocated to the
Minister for Transport on behalf of small businesses, including advocating for
assistance to businesses affected by the Light Rail construction on George
Street since 2015;
(x)
that the City has worked with Transport for NSW and
the CBD Coordination Office to provide a variety of business support services,
including the Light Rail Activations program through the Christmas 2016 and
2017 period;
(xi)
that the City advocated for Transport for NSW to
introduce greater transparency around the availability and process for
compensation available to residents and businesses at the Public Accountability Committee Inquiry into the impact of the CBD and
South East Light Rail Project; and
(xii)
that Transport for NSW intends to terminate the
Small Business Program on 1 October 2019;
(B)
Council approve the designation of smoke-free zones
along George Street from Hunter to Bathurst Streets, along with adjacent public
places, as outlined in Attachment D to the subject report at Item 3 on the agenda
of the Corporate, Finance, Properties and Tenders Committee of 2 September
2019;
(C)
the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:
(i)
continue the waiving of any outdoor dining fees
along the Light Rail route up until 30 June 2021 (a 12 month extension on the
existing waiver) as part of the publically exhibited fees and charges as
required under the Local Government Act 1993;
(ii)
write a letter to inform businesses along the Light
Rail route within the City’s Local Government Area of the 1 October 2019
deadline for the NSW Government’s Small Business Assistance Program
applications;
(iii)
investigate activation programs to encourage return
patronage to the completed Light Rail route;
(iv)
ensure resources are available to assist businesses
that are affected by public domain upgrade works to navigate NSW Government and
City processes; and
(v)
consult with members of the Bourke Street Public
School and Stop at the Dots campaign regarding the current plans for Wimbo
Park, noting their concerns about the lack of safety of the 900mm fence
dividing the park from the light rail corridor, and lack of marking of roads
and light rail corridor on the western end of Wimbo Park; and
(D)
the Lord Mayor be requested to:
(i)
write to the Minister for Transport and Roads and the
Secretary of Transport for NSW, advocating for stronger state government action
to ensure safety, especially around schools, and requesting that the Small
Business Assistance Program remain in place for a full 12 months after the
entire route is servicing a complete and paid timetable; and
(ii)
write to the Small Business Commissioner asking her
Office to deploy its resources to conduct a business health check six months
and 12 months after Light Rail is fully operational, and request that the
results of the health checks be provided to Council.
The motion, as
varied by consent, was carried unanimously.
S124266