Agenda item

In accordance with Chapter 3, Rules 57 and 59, of the Governance Rules developed by Council in accordance with section 60 of the Local Government Act 2020.

In accordance with Chapter 3, Rules 57 and 59, of the Governance Rules developed by Council in accordance with section 60 of the Local Government Act 2020.

QUESTION 1

Donna Kollner of Montrose, asked

The State Government has implemented a new recycling collection service.

How will this new system apply to those of us who currently compost food and-there are many households like ours that have there own system in place.

Are you going to force these extra costs on us for something that is not
needed?

Kath McClusky, Director Planning and Sustainable Futures:

Thank you for your question Donna, the Victorian State Government's Recycling Victoria: A New Economy Policy requires all Victorian households to have a four-stream system by 2030 which will be made up of – Rubbish, Recycling, Food and Garden Organics and Glass.

At the outset the response is yes, Council will be administering the four-bin system which will have a direct cost to all ratepayers. We want to thank all residents who already take the time to compost food scraps at home. Most home composting systems are unable to break down items such as meat, bones, citrus and dairy. However, the benefit for those who already compost is the new Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) service will allow for meat, bones, citrus and dairy products to be added and they will be composted to Australian standards.

The new FOGO system will complement your current composting/worm farming processes and help divert all your food and garden material away from landfill.

QUESTION 2

Donna Kollner of Montrose, asked

You talk about weed management in the agenda 10.1,

If you are so concerned about the environment and how it impacts climate change, could you please detail what chemicals and color additives you are spraying on the roadside to eradicate weeds.

How does it affect plant life, wild life, pets, children and our rivers and streams.

Kath McClusky, Director Planning and Sustainable Futures:

Thank you for your question Donna. Managing weeds on Council land is a complex issue, where no singular approach works for every location and every species of weed. Council's primary method of treating weeds is mechanical - brush cutting and mulching - with hand-weeding in some cases. Glyphosate and other chemicals, are only used when there are no viable alternatives to chemical-based weed treatment.

When using glyphosate, staff always adhere to label instructions and guidelines from WorkSafe and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). There is careful consideration of weather conditions, signage for the public and timing of application and dilution of weed treatments, to ensure no chemical contact with the community or with Council staff and to minimise or remove any impact on flora and fauna.

QUESTION 3

Anonymous asked

Why did the Shire engage Police to remove a peaceful display at Lilydale Lake on Sunday 4th June by people showing photos of people who have died from Covid injections.(known as "Forest for the Fallen" due to the photos being on thin sticks ), and what permission would they need just to stand and hold the sticks with photos so the public are aware of the deadly outcomes that have actually happened.

Hjalmar Philipp, Director Built Environment and Infrastructure:

Thank you for your question.

Lillydale Lake is Council’s most highly visited park and Council works hard at ensuring it is a safe and natural environment for the community using the facility. These spaces are intended for recreation and retreat to reconnect with the enjoyment of nature and improve their health and well-being.

Council staff were informed of the gathering on 4 June 2023, and consistent with above, gatherers were asked by Council staff to remove the placards. Council staff were verbally abused, and as a result, Victoria Police were informed.

Unless specifically authorised under the planning scheme, Council does not permit the display of information on placards, boards, posters, banners or signs to be placed for public exhibition. This enables Council to ensure that the local amenity of our public places is maintained to a high standard, are visually pleasing and all of our community feel safe to use them. This is reflected in our Neighbourhood Amenity Local Law (Section 4.8).

QUESTION 4

Anonymous asked

Between 1st Jan 2020 to present, many new CCTV/Cameras installed under the "Smarter Roads" have been rolled out at intersections - although this hasn't reached our area yet apparently.

Can council please provide an up-to-date asset register for all visual imaging devices within the municipality?

Can council please provide brand and model numbers for any imaging device that are capable of using Facial recognition via Machine Learning either on the device or in an external server?

Hjalmar Philipp, Director Built Environment and Infrastructure:

Thank you for your question.

The Victorian Government and The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) manage the Smarter Roads initiative. The use of CCTV helps the Transport Operations Centre identify incidents and respond quickly to keep people and goods moving.

As DTP authorises this technology and infrastructure, Council does not have a register of devices or any information about the type of devices used. The request for such information should be directed toward DTP to respond to.

https://smarterroads.vic.gov.au/vicroads/smarter-roads

The cameras are for major road traffic and congestion. Local Council roads rarely see high volumes for cameras to be effectively used.

There were no Submissions listed on the Agenda for this meeting.