Griffith City Council Year in Review 2018/19

2018/2019

Year in Review Griffith City Council’s Annual Community Report

Message from the Mayor On behalf of Council I am pleased to present this Year in Review, which provides an overview of Council’s accomplishments over the past 12 months.

•Yambil Street Upgrade (Stage 1) - although we have encountered setbacks along the way, work has continued on this important upgrade. This is the first step in the wider CBD Strategy.

• The new Skate Park was officially opened in July 2018 and has proved a popular space.

• Lake Wyangan and Catchment Management Strategy - Council recognises Lake Wyangan as a high priority for the community.

The appointment of the Project Officer in August 2018 has allowed us to make some good progress in improving water quality, which is a first step in developing recreational opportunities for the

community • Griffith Regional Sporting Precinct – Funding has been secured and planning has well and truly commenced for the 50m outdoor swimming pool.

• East Mirrool Regulator (EMR) - construction of new automated flood gates at Yenda commenced in October 2018 and I am delighted to say this work is now complete.

• Griffith City Library continues to be a safe and inclusive public space with access to a wide range of services, events and activities.

• Griffith Regional Theatre Community Production of Legally Blonde was a fun, inclusive project, with a cast of 50 locals putting on a high energy, high quality, feel good show.

These, and a whole host of other infrastructure, community and service improvements highlighted

in this report aim to meet our ‘guiding griffith 2040’ Community Strategic Plan goals.

Griffith is full of untapped potential and now is the time to work together.

I would like to thank our Councillors for their commitment to Griffith City Council and their ongoing effort on behalf of residents. I also thank businesses, community groups and organisations for their efforts throughout the year.

I would like to acknowledge the work of Council staff and my fellow Councillors.

Council staff continue to demonstrate their commitment and dedication to the City providing a broad range of services and assistance to our residents and ratepayers.

John Dal Broi Emeritus Mayor

Message from the General Manager 2018/19 has been another very busy year for our City and one indicator of this is the activity through Griffith Airport. Passenger numbers utilising the REX air service to Sydney has jumped to around 72,000 and the new low price “Community Fare” introduced last October has proved very popular.

Sharp Airlines commenced their daily air service connecting Griffith with Melbourne (Essendon) 14 July 2019 and positive passenger feedback is already coming in.

Development activity during the last 12 months has been strong with 436 development applications received from July 2018 to June 2019.

Council is progressing several important infrastructure projects which will consolidate Griffith’s reputation as a fantastic place to live, work and raise a family. A new skate park in Olympic Street, community pathways, a new community stage and renovation of the amenities block in Memorial Park are just some of the great projects Council has worked toward.

The new Western Riverina Country Universities Centre (CUC) located in Kooyoo Street, registered its first students early July 2019. The CUC is a student study hub equipped

with modern IT equipment and high speed internet connectivity with all Australian Universities.

Stage 1 of the Central Business District Upgrade (Yambil Street) is nearing completion and that section of the street will look great when completed. It is acknowledged however, that businesses and pedestrians in this section of Yambil Street have experienced considerable inconvenience during construction and Council apologises for this. This is a very complex project and the contractors engaged have worked closely with Council and have done their utmost to achieve a quality outcome while completing the job as soon as possible.

The new automated East Mirrool Regulator (EMR) at Yenda has been constructed and commissioned.

Council has worked in close partnership with Murrumbidgee Irrigation and NSW Government to complete this important project.

In terms of residential land availability, in the Collina area alone, subdivisions have been approved providing 394 new blocks for purchase and construction of new homes. Griffith certainly needs more housing stock especially for rental purposes. During 2018, Council engaged external

assistance to investigate the housing needs of the City and the result is the development of a draft Affordable Housing Strategy.

Council will obviously have a key role in implementing the Strategy but this must be a whole of government, business and community effort.

Council has launched a new Business Prospectus - Invest in Griffith - which provides valuable information to attract new businesses and development in Griffith. The prospectus is complemented by a new monthly Business Newsletter, “Evolve”.

I would like to make special mention of our amazing farmers who contribute so much to the economic prosperity of the region. Irrigation is the lifeblood of this economy but the very limited water availability is making it very tough for our men and women on the land.

In closing, thanks as always to my amazing staff who do their best every day to provide services to the community and to Councillors for their time and commitment.

Brett Stonestreet General Manager

Griffith Visitor Information Centre Communications

29,170 4,442 68 87,610 $19.6M 6 71

Visitors to the Centre during 2018/19 Garden visits during the 2018 Spring Fest Real Juice Citrus Sculptures erected for the 2018 event

website

207

media releases distributed

40

phone-ins on local radio

107K

website sessions

Tourism dollars injected into the community

10%

Major Tourism events

5005

increase in web users

Facebook likers Itineraries created by staff at the Visitors Centre

Stormwater & Floodplain Risk Management Major Achievements • Griffith City Council now has a number of completed Flood Studies and Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plans which assist in the strategic planning of Griffith and surrounding areas. The most current studies and plans are available on Council’s web page.

• Through Floodplain Risk Management process, Council has prioritised the mitigation measures adopted in the Griffith Main Drain J and Mirrool Creek Floodplain Risk • Management Study and Plan on the following projects.

Yenda * Installated flood warning devices at Barellan Road bridge site and Yenda East Mirrool Regular (EMR) site * Integration of the flood warning system into BOM’s flood forecasting system. * Established a set of EMR Emergency Breaching Protocols and Decision Support Framework for the management of Mirrool Creek flood waters at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Main Canal East Mirrool Regulator at Yenda. * Completed the new automated flood gates at the East Mirrool Regulator (EMR) at Yenda.

Yoogali * Design completed for the Yoogali McCormack Road Levee and DC605J Culvert Upgrade.

Hanwood * Hanwood Stormwater Pump and Levee.

50%

increase in organic facebook reach

1,274

subscribers to Council’s eNewsle�er - The COG

West End Stadium hosted many cultural events including Indigenous Workshops, Sikh Games, Dances, and Services General sporting events include Domestic Basketball Competition, Badminton Senior Competition, Netball, and Lifeball School Sport Events Over 2,500 students used the facility, including programs for those with a disability Athletics carnivals at both a Local and State level were held on West End Oval and utilised the facilities of the Stadium.

Hosted round 1 & 3 of the Western Jnr. League Basketball Comp, with 14 Basketball Centres participating and 1,300 visitors

Sustainable Development 333 436 $87.3M certificates issued Development Development - 197 construction Applications Applications - 116 occupation processed value - 20 subdivision Highlights $ • Murrumbidgee Regional High School – Griffith Campus – 82-86 Coolah Street, Griffith – Alterations & additions 6,081,087 • Collina 10 Pty Ltd – 686 Clifton Boulevard, Griffith – 112 lot Torrens Title subdivision 4,500,000 • Mayuresh Group Pty Ltd – Citrus Road, Griffith – 83 lot Torrens Title Residential Subdivision 3,300,000 • Casella Wines Pty Ltd – Wakley Road, Yenda – Extension of existing warehouse & loading pad 3,009,078 • 912 Management Group Pty Ltd – Kidman Way, Griffith – New industrial building offices 3,000,000 • Liberty Oil (WA) Pty Ltd – 6-8 Mackay Avenue, Griffith – Proposed service station redevelopment 2,000,000 • Griffith Post School Options Inc – 8-18 Hebden Street, Yoogali – Multi unit housing development 1,800,000 • ICI Industries Pty Ltd – 3-5 Harris Road, Griffith – New industrial complex 1,714,300 • Mr CM & Mrs AL Gonzo – 7-9 Shaw Road, Griffith – 8 industrial buildings & 8 lot strata title subdivision 1,150,000 • Griffith Leagues Club – 21-27 Jondaryan Avenue, Griffith – Alterations & additions 1,000,000

Griffith Livestock Marketing Centre Major Achievements • Sheep sales at the Griffith Livestock Marketing Centre totalled 505,039 during 2018/19.

• Work is expected to start on the new truck wash in the first half of 2019 financial year.

• Council continues to improve the Centre’s operations.

Biosecurity (Weeds) Major Achievements • Prickly Pear removal was undertaken at Jack Carson’s Reserve, Tharbogang Landfill and adjoining lands.

• Various sites within the LGA had St Barnaby’s Thistle identified, treated and controlled.

• Infestations of African Boxthorn have been greatly reduced at Lake Wyangan North. Boxthorn has also been diminished at Jack Carson’s Reserve, the south eastern side of Campbell’s Swamp, Nericon Swamp and 11km of Gum Creek Road has been treated. The Whitton Stock Route has also been treated with a 90% success rate.

• Sweet Briar Rose infestations have been treated with a 90% success rate in the north eastern corner of Lake Wyangan North. Infestations have also been treated in McArthy Road with a 98% success rate.

• Coolati Grass has been treated and controlled at a historical site located on Rifle Range Road, resulting in a significant reduction in the infestation size.

32,682 calls to Customer Service

93%

answered within 20 seconds

Griffith Regional Aquatic Leisure Centre Centre Attendance Total

Gym Attendance

159,003

23,036

Total Usage

135,797 Aerobics 17,959 Attendance

143,941 143,941

42,590 5,000

61,833 45,000+

Swim School Enrolments

Swim Lessons

Swim School Entries

Swimming Entries

82%

Customer service level achieved

97.6%

Customer Service sa�sfica�on

614

Planning Cer�ficates processed

Griffith Pioneer Park Museum

Griffith City Library

1 Fe atte ,20 Sa sta nde 0 lsi De d cc lla e

12,571 visitors during 2018/19

to 4 ur ,5 ev 8, ist v 62 en 00 is t v 9 its isi ts

0 d 00 de day , 2 en ri ay t F at od n D o Go cti A

123,211 visits

54

shows

31

9,294 members

17,260 eBook & eAudio loans

39,100 mobile Library loans

24

sell-outs

season events

10

Legally Blonde

Performances

128,653 loans

32,429 PC/wifi sessions

4,624 new items

e 0 th y 30 ded Da t n lia s te ra fa at ust eak A Br

Griffith Regional Theatre

417 events held

25,310 website visits (WRL)

261 total days used

Griffith Regional Art Gallery

5,520

events 10

exhibi�on patrons

exhibi�ons

29

1,798

young people engaged

Programs & workshops

Community Development

9

SMART Recovery facilitators trained for Teen SMART

$44K in community grants

131

people from 17 countries became ci�zens

85

young people a�ended Youth Week Events

4

grant wri�ng sessions conducted

Roads

Construction

$4.6M

Footpath & Other Works

Maintenance

Traffic & Safety

$7.6M

$672K

$795K

Drainage

$187K

Urban Water Supply

Cemeteries

Major Achievements • Construction of twenty three Single Below Ground Vaults at the Griffith Cemetery.

• Installation of bench seats at Griffith, Yenda and Bagtown cemeteries.

Information Technology

50

iPads rolled out to external staff to improve efficiencies

7

PCs and one 75” TV in Council’s upgraded IT training room - for organisa�ons to hire and Council’s internal use

Major Achievements • Griffith City Council continues to supply high quality potable water in compliance with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

• Council has commenced the refurbishment of the Griffith Water Treatment Plant with 2 filters having the walls recoated and the filter sand replaced.

• Council replaced 483 water meters.

• As well as water meter installations, Council has commenced installing Backflow Prevention devices on all medium to high hazard connections to Council’s water main to ensure the protection of the potable water supply.

Sewerage Services

Major Achievements • Council was successful in obtaining funding from Infrastructure NSW totalling 42% of the $5 million for the sewer backlog project that enabled the villages of Lake Wyangan, Nericon and Tharbogang to be provided with a reticulated sewerage system. Construction works on site commenced in February 2018 with the project completed in October 2018. The project finished well ahead of schedule and under budget.

• A variety of maintenance and upgrade works were performed on the sewerage Rising Main network and sewage Pumping Stations to ensure reliability in the critical components of the sewerage system.

5

Council sites now offering free WiFi to the community

CCTV

Upgrades to City Park to improve safety and reduce vandalism

Above: The directional drilling machine used to install the sewer reticulation system in the Villages.

Parks, Reserves & Sports Grounds

Fleet Management

Major Achievements New plant and equipment purchased during 2018/19 included: • 28 x Passenger and light commercial / SUV vehicles • 5 x Trucks • 1 x Motor Grader • 4 Minor plant items (Generators) • 2 x Tractors • 7 x Mowers including three point linkage mowers • 1 x Stump Grinder • 1 x RTV • 1 x Forklift • 1 x Trailer fitted with a vehicle loading crane.

Major Achievements • Concreting of the large amenities area at Ted Scobie Oval.

• Concreting of the Jubilee Park - Netball kiosk awning area.

• Completion of the new Griffith Skate Park.

• Installation of an automated irrigation system at the Women’s Land Park – Hanwood.

• Upgrade of the fence at the Dog Park - Off Leash Area • Completion of the landscaped pathway along Noorebar Avenue.

Fire Hazard Reduction 576

permits

542

incidents

272

members

Economic Profile

$71M

non residental investment

$33M

residen�al investment

1.02%

jobs ra�o 13,876 jobs

95.18% employment rate

$1.7B GRP

Environment & Health

328

Food business inspec�ons

79

Public pool inspec�ons

43

Public health inspec�ons

12

38

Immunisa�on clinics

Mosquito traps

2500+ residents used ‘dump for free’

31210 tonnes of waste processed

Waste Management

622 tonnes recycled

8271 domestic waste collection services

1033 recycling collection services

Our community Top 3

population now

30,507

industries are 1. Manufacturing 2. Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry 3. Retail

ATSIC population

1

26,882

377,000

visitors to the region annually

population 2036

4.8%

9

towns and villages

born overseas

popularly elected Mayor

11

elected representatives

32.2%

100

70%

community satisfaction rate (2016 community survey)

local businesses

3,304

parks sporting grounds

9,345

households

50.1%

couples with children

10.5%

university educated

7.1%

$820M

1,640km 2

covered (LGA)

622

tonnes of waste recycled

above sea level

134m

75%

$456B

NSW wine grapes are grown in the region

Agricultural production value

78.2%

households contain 2 or more people

children under 18 years above regional average

26.2%

mortgage

30%

renting

31.3%

24.9%

$1,287

speak Italian

52,000

7

49.9%

median weekly household income

Council’s community infrastructure

regional population

21.7%

aged 60 and above

60.6%

workforce participation

$230

median rent p/w

$75.3M

tourism & hospitality sales

71.2%

connected to the internet