Precinct System Review

The North Sydney ‘Community Precinct System’ was established in the 1970's encouraging residents, workers, students and property owners to take an active role in providing input into the operations of Council. Precinct Committees are run by residents and are advisory. Precinct meetings are open forums which anyone can attend and consult on a range of community issues.

On 4 December 2017, Council resolved to revisit the Discussion Paper that was presented to Council in December 2012 (which was publicly exhibited from December 2012 to April 2013). An interim report was considered by the Council in November 2019 at which time it was agreed to undertake a review of the Precinct System. On 24 February 2020, Council resolved (Min. No. 15) to conduct the Review in two stages, and to commence Stage 1 by concurrently exhibiting the updated Discussion Paper and proposed amendments to the Code of Conduct - Precinct Office Bearers and Members (available in the Stage 1 Public Exhibition Document Library).

Note: A project-specific Community Engagement Strategy has been prepared to guide the Review (available from the Stage 1 Public Exhibition Document Library) .

STAGE 2

This stage ran from November 2020 to February 2021. Stage 2 engagement included:

• Survey - open to the general public to determine reasons for non-participation in the Precinct System (closed 5 February 2021). The survey results are available from the document library.
• Workshops - open exclusively to active Precinct Committees representatives; each Precinct Committee could register up to four participants for the two-phase workshop series. The externally facilitated workshops provided the opportunity to further discuss the feedback/suggestions provided in Stage 1.
• Interviews - held with a representative sample of stakeholders in the Precinct System, including Precinct Committees, businesses/Chambers of Commerce and staff. These were externally facilitated.

The Stage 2 feedback was collated and analysed by the external consultant, this included draft recommendations. Management responses to the recommendations were reported to Council on 28 June 2021 (Item 8.14, available in the Stage 2 Consultation Outcomes Document Library), whereby Council resolved to the defer consideration to the new term of Council i.e. the matter will be reported back to Council after the September 2021 election (see timeline for more information).

BACKGROUND - STAGE 1

Feedback closed 19 August 2020 (extended)

Stage 1 obtained preliminary feedback on the updated Discussion Paper and amended Code of Conduct - Precinct Office Bearers and Members, by way of 120-day public exhibition period commencing from 12 March 2020 (submission deadline extended by 6 weeks to Wednesday 5pm, 19 August 2020).

Discussion Paper

In accordance with the December 2017 resolution, the original Discussion Paper (2012) was updated and publicly exhibited. It is intended as a ‘green paper’ seeking preliminary feedback on six recommendations:

1. Terminology/Branding - determine level of interest in changing Precinct area/Committee names (to be considered in context of Recommendation No. 2);
2. Reallocation of Precinct area boundaries - determine level of support for Precinct area boundary reallocation, with view to reduce the total number of Precinct areas;
3. Combined Precincts Committee’s role and function - Terms of Reference to be reviewed in context of any other recommendations implemented;
4. Code of Conduct - Precinct Office Bearers and Members - see below for more information - proposed amendments to the Code are concurrently exhibited with the Discussion Paper;
5. Council’s level of support (resource allocation) - the current financial/in-kind and administrative support provided to the Precinct System should be reviewed in context of Council’s other engagement programs, marketing and promotion of the Precinct System and office bearer training needs, as well as and any changes to Precinct boundaries (to be considered in context of Recommendation No. 2);
6. Other initiatives - consideration of a street party application process (depending on level of community interest this will be further considered as part of Council's next Delivery Program). Note: subsequently discontinued as the Council resolved to trial Street Play.

Note: In response to the 2012/13 feedback, Recommendation No. 2 includes proposed boundary realignment options (x3). These are largely based on the options which were reported to Council in September 2013.

Amended Code of Conduct

The proposed amendments were con-currently exhibited with the Discussion Paper (available in Stage 1 Public Exhibition Document Library) with the amendments shown in red font (indicating new) and strikethrough (indicating deletion).

21 submissions were received during the exhibition period. Finalisation of the revised Code proceeded outside of the Review, as the amendments address previously identified issues not adequately covered by the Code (which was last reviewed in detail in 2010), and in line with Council’s recently updated Code of Conduct - Councillors and Staff (based on the Model Code)

The post exhibition report was considered at Council's Governance and Finance Committee meeting on 9 November 2020. The Governance and Committee minutes were subsequently endorsed by Council at its meeting of 30 November 2020.

For further information contact Jenny Gleeson, Manager Corporate Planning & Engagement on 9936 8100.