Agenda of Ordinary Meeting of Council

Report submitted to the Ordinary Meeting of Council on Monday 12 May 2025

RP-1

Reports from Staff

RP-1 RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF MOTION - RIVERINA MEN'S HEALTH CENTRE

Author: Madeleine Scully

Executive: Janice Summerhayes

Summary:

This report is presented to Council in response to NOM-1 Riverina Men’s Health Centre adopted at the 11 November 2024 Ordinary Council Meeting. A petition has also been received on 23 April 2025 from 939 signatories relating to the proposed establishment of a ‘Men’s Wellness Centre in Wagga’ which is also addressed in this report.

Recommendation

That Council:

a note the report and consultation findings from key stakeholders

b commend the Wagga Women’s Health Centre for their leadership in co-facilitating the Wagga Wagga & Surrounds Men’s Leadership Forum in July 2024

c receive and note the attached petition received on 23 April 2025 to ‘Establish a Men’s Wellness Centre in Wagga’

d note that the petition’s request is addressed in this report as part of the response to the Notice of Motion parts a) and b)

e request staff advise the petition contact person of Council’s resolution in accordance with Council’s Petition Policy (POL 086)

f note Council’s advocacy role and adopted Advocacy Plan statement of commitment to the prevention of Domestic and Family Violence being:

“We will advocate for resources and funding levels that support the front-line services and other organisations addressing coercive control, abuse and violence and their delivery of preventative programs to address gender equity and respectful relationships”

g staff make contact with the Men’s Consultative Group to provide them with the report’s findings and as detailed in this report

Report

At the Ordinary Meeting on 11 November 2024 Council resolved the following in response to NOM-1 Riverina Men’s Health Centre being:

That Council:

a supports the investigation of a Riverina Men’s Health Centre, a dedicated facility to be based in Wagga Wagga aimed at providing comprehensive health and support services for men in the Riverina region

b recognises the pressing need for such a facility, which will offer services including in-house psychology support and mental health counselling, physical fitness programs, anger management, corrective domestic violence prevention programs, and legal services tailored to men’s health and wellbeing, including collaborative law assistance for men with family law and domestic violence matters to seek better positive outcomes for individuals, their families and ultimately the community

c notes the recent success of the Men’s Forum organised by the Wagga Women’s Health Centre, which featured contributions from leading experts, including psychiatrist Adam Blanch, a trauma psychiatrist specialising in trauma and its relation to domestic violence. This pivotal new research presented by Blanch at the forum highlighted innovative insights and strategies that could position this city as a world leader in trialling and implementing trauma-informed approaches based on cutting-edge research in men’s health and domestic violence prevention

d emphasises the importance of involving all sectors of the community, including private sector businesses, financial institutions, and state and federal government, in both the research, future funding streams and Council’s support to report on this initiative. Collaboration with these sectors is essential for securing the funding, resources, and support needed to make the Riverina Men’s Health Centre a reality and to maximise its impact within the wider community

e supports initial Council engagement with relevant stakeholders to explore potential partnerships, funding opportunities, and collaborative efforts that could contribute to the successful foundation and operation of the Centre

f receives a report on the process to establish a Riverina Men’s Health Centre which includes, but is not limited to:

i who the key stakeholders are;

ii the steps involved;

iii the role of Council;

iv consideration of a steering committee or other such panel such as a stakeholder advisory group to oversee and guide the initial development of this centre.

Council received a petition on 23 April 2025 from Rhys Cummins containing 939 signatures. The petition has been submitted to Council in accordance with Council’s Petitions Management Policy.

The petition was initiated on 15 January 2025 with a closing date of 23 April 2025, with the request that a Men’s Wellness Centre in Wagga Wagga be established. Below is an extract from the petition with the specific wording:

‘This petition is to advocate and lobby for a Men’s Wellness Centre in Wagga Wagga. A men’s wellness centre will provide holistic support to the men of our city and surrounding areas. Men in our region, like others around the country, encounter many health challenges including mental health, physical health, family and relationship issues, legal issues and many more. This centre can help to bridge the gap by providing holistic support encompassing physical, mental, and emotional health. A Wellness Centre in Wagga will be a safe space for men to initiate health-related conversations and provide crucial resources to the men of our region. We urge health authorities and government to take action on this important matter to support the men of our region. Please sign this petition to show your support for the establishment of a Men’s Wellness Centre in Wagga.’

As per Council’s policy, only the substance of the petition and the number of signatories is provided in the business paper, however the full petition will be available for viewing by Councillors.

Upon receival of the petition, along with seven support letters from local community services, staff reviewed the request detailed in the petition to ensure it has been considered in this report. It is noted that this petition is in support of the Notice of Motion parts a) and b) and therefore this report response covers the petition request.

The following responses to NOM-1 Riverina Men’s Health Centre are summarised in sections a) through to f) for ease of reference.

NOM-1 Riverina Men’s Health Centre

At the ordinary meeting Council resolved that staff undertake consultation with a number of stakeholders to seek input and bring back the findings to Council, on a proposed new service model to respond to service gaps identified and outlined in this Notice of Motion for a proposed Riverina Men’s Health Centre to be established in the city. Staff completed an initial engagement process with community representatives including local Elders and cultural knowledge holders, Wagga Wagga Women’s Health Centre, Murrumbidgee Men’s Group, Men’s Consultation Group, Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga, Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, Corrective Services NSW – NSW Department of Communities and Justice, and members of the LGBTIQ+ community. Further to this please find following some key statistical information from the most recent census data relating to men living in our community.

The 2021 Census identified a usual resident population of Wagga Wagga Local Government Area (LGA) as 67,609 with 32,883 (48.6%) residents identifying as male (Profile.id, 2025). Of those male residents 6.6% identified as First Nations and 11% are born overseas which links to the lower English proficiency rates in Wagga Wagga LGA compared to regional NSW (Profile.id, 2025).

Key indicators of socio-economic status, opportunities and ability to access to services are employment and education. Nationally 63% of men 15 years+ have attained a non-school based qualification (including trade and degrees) in comparison to only 52% of the male population aged 15 years+ and over holding educational qualifications in our LGA. Of the 68.5% of male residents in Wagga Wagga (17,723 in 2021) are employed with 76% of that group working full-time however, it is important to note that these figures are based on the 2021 Census which was heavily impacted by pandemic employment conditions (Profile.id, 2025).

The Australia Bureau of Statistics identified heart disease as the leading cause of death in men in 2024. Disturbingly, the suicide rate of men is three times higher than that of women, with 78% of deaths (730) by suicide in NSW in 2023 were men (ABS, 2025; NSW Ministry of Health, 2024). Other key information which is critical in determining service provision and appetite to engaging with supports include: males made up 55.9% of 257 people experiencing homelessness in Wagga Wagga. Notably 17.5% of all lone (single) parents (Profile.id, 2025) and substance use disorders are twice as likely in males than females with 35.8% of men over the age of 18 years exceeding the Australia adult alcohol guidelines (ABS, 2025; NSW Ministry of Health, 2024).

The most recent crime data as released in March 2025 reveals for the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area (WWLGA) there were 527 incidents of domestic violence related assault where charges have been laid, recorded by NSW Police, which detailed 370 female and 196 males identifying as victims in 2024 (BOCSAR, March 2025).

It is critical to note that Police data sets have limitations, and it is broadly accepted that much more crime is committed than is reported to Police which is predominately linked to a person’s willingness to report or trust in Police to action the report. In a report tabled to the House of Representatives (Inquiry into crime in the community: victims, offenders, and fear of crime, 2004) it states that “It was acknowledged that the level of reporting is significantly lower for women and children who are victims of physical and sexual assault”. Ergo, with efforts to increase rapport between Police and community, and empower people to report violence as awareness grows, there is an expectation that these numbers of reported incidents will rise to more accurately reflect DFV incidents and abuse in our community.

NOM-1 Riverina Men’s Health Centre

To understand further the need for such a facility, staff undertook a literature review, completed an audit on current services available in the city and undertook an initial engagement process with some key stakeholders to understand further their perspectives on this proposal, based on their knowledge of local services and the particular health needs of the male population in Wagga Wagga and the surrounding region.

Literature review

The literature review conducted by staff in the development of this report has identified that men generally experience poor health outcomes and that this coupled with a lack of positive help-seeking behavior, due to societal pressures and gender ‘norms’ of masculinity, leads men to only engage with services at points of crisis which may link to why men have a statistically higher chance of death from preventable diseases (ABS, 2025).

Ultimately, the goal of early intervention for men’s health and wellbeing is to promote positive help seeking behaviors which are significantly influenced by habits developed early in life and perceptions of masculinity in society and culture (National Men’s Health Strategy 2020-2030).

The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032 also identifies that providing meaningful early intervention supports for men would prevent future harm and gendered violence. On page 80 of this report, it states “Although boys and men, as a group, tend to hold privilege and power based on their gender, they can also experience discrimination and violence, including sexual violence and disproportionately harsh discipline as children. Gender stereotypes and harmful expectations of masculinity can mean that men experiencing mental and physical health issues do not seek help when they need it”.

Audit of current services available to men in Wagga Wagga

Council staff conducted an audit of services current to 30 January 2025, specifically identifying services and social supports in Wagga Wagga and surrounds for men which can be found in the addendum of this report. Overall, the audit revealed that there are a diverse range of services for men’s health available, predominantly clinical services, for example availability of male General Practitioners (GPs) in the city along with specialist support groups available for boys and men.

During the audit process it became clear that a lot of the clinical services targeting men, such as men’s behavioral change programs and counselling services are hosted within what is predominately female-led and family-based organisations.

Male stakeholders consulted in the development of this report confirmed that this issue was a key barrier to men accessing services and told staff that barriers for local men seeking health support services included a persistent fear of being judged, and a lack of shared experience. Furthermore, feedback revealed that service practitioners are often women and the type of spaces that services operate in are clinical in design and the atmosphere is perceived to be unwelcoming and put men off from attending. Feedback to staff also revealed there is a hesitancy for men to speak up about domestic and family violence out of shame and fear of saying the wrong thing.

Another barrier to accessing existing services that was identified in the audit, was the challenge to locate the correct information on what services are available due to the distribution of information across multiple platforms and databases. In identifying this issue staff have immediately commenced contacting all men’s health services identified in the audit and encouraging them to place their service information on Council’s My Community Directory Wagga Wagga platform, that is a free, one-stop-shop community information hub.

Through the literature review, service audit, and the feedback received in the initial consultation process with stakeholders, it was noted by staff that there are multiple barriers that men experience in our community when accessing existing services and gaps in non-clinical and male only support environments for men’s health service provision in the City and wider region.

NOM-1 Riverina Men’s Health Centre

It is recognised that the Wagga Women’s Health Centre (WWHC) as leaders in their field, identified that the engagement of men as a key stakeholder in the conversation more broadly around domestic and family violence was lacking in our community. To address this issue, the WWHC co-designed a Men’s Leadership Forum on domestic and family violence for Wagga Wagga and surrounds which to the knowledge of the WWHC is the first of its kind in Australia. This forum was attended by Councillors, the local state and federal members, Wiradjuri/Wiradyuri Elders and cultural knowledge holders, along with other male leaders drawn from the broader community. The forum event was held on Friday 26 July 2024. The forum was funded as part of the current WWHC-led DV2650 project, where supporting and empowering men through a trauma-informed lens is considered a positive long-term strategic approach to reducing gendered violence.

This WWHC DV2650 project work follows on from Council’s project work that in partnership with WWHC commenced in 2019, and where Council staff delivered the inaugural DVproject:2650 three-year NSW government funded project that concluded in June 2021. The aim of this strategic 3-year project was to educate the community on the causes of violence against women and their children, to promote gender equality and respect, and to challenge rigid gender roles and stereotypes as detailed in a 2016 survey undertaken by the WWHC.

Based on recommendations from the Council-led DVproject:2650 Close Out Report completed in June 2021, it was recommended that Council’s role going forward in preventing and reducing incidents of domestic and family violence should aim to ‘strengthen and promote gender equity through local leadership roles, networks, partnership programs, and as a significant community employer’ (ref page 53 in the report): https://wagga.nsw.gov.au/community/programs-and-initiatives/thedvproject).

The recommendations of the DVproject:2650 report is reflected in Council’s Community Strategic Plan (CSP) 2050 under the key strategic focus areas of Vibrant and Regional Leadership in reference to community safety and continuing advocacy in the prevention of Domestic and Family Violence as well as in Council’s endorsed Community Safety Action Plan 2022-2026.

In consultation with representatives from the WWHC, staff were advised that approximately 100 participants attended the Men’s Leadership Forum in July 2024. Along with keynote speakers and facilitators, the men attending this forum engaged in conversations around understanding domestic and family violence without judgement or blame, discussed contributing factors to violence and importantly their role going forward as men and community leaders to address the issues raised.

Staff were advised that the forum, led by men for men, explored solutions through an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach named SOAR, which used open questions and dialogue to help participants uncover existing strengths (S), opportunities (O), advantages (A), and anticipated results (R) in their communities. Overall, the forum has been deemed successful in empowering men and connecting men in a positive way, with many participants learning about existing local men’s services and supports for the first time.

Staff understand that the next steps identified by the forum participants was a public commitment by male community leaders to continue the discussions and to form a working consultative group for Wagga Wagga and surrounds to follow through on the actions committed to at the forum. A Men’s Consultative Group was established in late 2024 and is now co-chaired by WWHC and a male representative from the men’s consultative working group. This groups meets regularly at Council’s Civic Centre with male-identifying representatives from local services, business, community organisations and representatives from all tiers of government including Mayor Dallas Tout, Councillor Richard Foley, along with Dr Joe McGirr Member for Wagga Wagga and the Hon. Michael McCormack MP, Federal Member for Riverina. A report documenting the findings from the forum is currently being finalised by the WWHC in partnership with the Men’s Consultative Group with plans to launch this report in the near future.

Another recent action following on from the forum and led by the WWHC was a community event hosted at the Wagga Wagga City Library on Monday 14 April 2025 where keynote speaker Tarang Chawla, an advocate for the prevention of gender based domestic and family violence, told his own family story of the death of his sister at the hands of her intimate partner. Staff understand that Tarang Chawla also facilitated a follow up meeting on Tuesday 15 April 2025 with members of the Men’s Consultative Group, to prioritise their personal commitments and identify priorities to work on as a group from the forum.

NOM-1 Riverina Men’s Health Centre

Based on the consultation undertaken with key stakeholders about what they want the proposed Riverina Men’s Health Centre model to offer to men, staff completed a desk top review and consulted with representatives from the WWHC and Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD), to attempt to locate any non-clinical men’s health centre models existing in NSW or nationally.

Across Australia there are numerous men’s health centre models that appear to be all physical health related medical services in clinical settings with some funded by state health agencies, along with fees for service and other funding streams, for example, sponsorship agreements. There are scaled up models like the Bendigo Community Health Services ‘Men’s Health Clinic’ (https://www.bchs.com.au/our-services/doctors-specialists/mens-health-clinic/), which provides health education programs and health assessments to link into support to achieve a ‘healthier lifestyle’ for men. This service has fees and some bulk billing options available for services like health assessments, mental health plans and wound dressing. This service is a registered charity employing over 270 staff across 6 sites and offers more than 50 services funded through various government health programs, community donations, and sponsorships. There are many specific fee for service clinical models available for men which are focused on addressing physical health issues like erectile dysfunction, heart disease and prostate cancer, for example, Men’s Health Clinic at North Sydney (http://menshealthclinic.com/au), Men’s Health Melbourne (https://www.menshealthmelbourne.com.au/), and Men’s Health Downunder (https://menshealthdownunder.com.au/). There are also smaller, community-based non-profit models such as the Men & Family Centre (https://menandfamily.org.au/) in Lismore, which is focused on men’s behavioral change programs, funded by Women NSW and the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.

The models listed above do employ women in some capacity which, based on feedback with stakeholders, is not supported as the preferred model for the proposed Riverina Men’s Health Centre. Notably, feedback to staff from stakeholders emphasised that any service model developed must be a non-clinical, community-led service, governed by a community-led board of management consisting of men with various leadership skills and knowledge, employing a team of all male practitioners including a coordinator, administration staff, and male health program officers.

It is important to note that, consistently, male stakeholders interviewed described the Wagga Women’s Health Centre model as the ideal model to mirror in the establishment of a Riverina Men’s Health Centre, out of a genuine admiration for the WWHC’s longevity and impact of this service in our community. Feedback received identified that the proposed men’s health or ‘wellbeing’ centre, which was also a term coined by some stakeholders, should not be led by clinical health services or behavioral change programs. Rather it should be a men’s community health hub, where clinical programs could be delivered by service agencies scheduled to attend the proposed centre. Like the WWHC, stakeholder feedback emphasised that this proposed service model should deliver a schedule of non-clinical programs that addressed service gaps and the needs of men including, but not limited to, group and individual counselling in a safe male only environment, mental health, wellbeing, fitness and nutrition, legal and financial literacy, along with social activities and programs that address social isolation and lack of community networks. Like the WWHC the proposed centre would act as a soft entry referral path for men requiring further support from GPs and other medical or specialist services if required.

For Councillors’ awareness, the Wagga Women's Health Centre Inc. has been advocating for women's rights in Wagga Wagga since 1979, led by women for women. Today, it is registered formally as an incorporated association which requires a membership who pay a nominal annual fee from which the volunteer management committee is elected. This community-led governance structure was admired by all the stakeholders consulted in the development of this report, with the understanding that every organisation needs to evolve and develop at its own pace. The WWHC also services girls and likewise it was noted in the consultations that the proposed Riverina Men’s Health Centre should cater for the needs of boys and men alike.

Consultation with key stakeholders

Staff conducted preliminary stakeholder focus groups and one-on-one meetings to establish an initial understanding of what local male leaders and key stakeholders envisage in a health centre for men in Wagga Wagga. It is important to note that all stakeholders were adamant in their feedback that the proposed Riverina Men’s Health Centre should be planned, delivered, and run by men for men.

Governance is key to such a proposal building momentum and will set the foundation for long-term strategic success along with access to long term funding options. Based on the initial feedback received, there was a clear and consistent vision for the centre, that it should be a community-led board or management committee that operates independently from government and non-government services. With a governance structure established, this board/management committee would then be able to receive funding from government to employ a male identifying coordinator and team who would liaise with local funded services providing outreach/in-service options for men in this gendered-safe space.

An advocate for men’s mental health and founder of the Murrumbidgee Men’s Group stated during the consultation process that the proposed centre needs to be based in a home-like setting in the Central Business District (CBD), or outer central Wagga area, similar to what has been achieved for the WWHC, that would be discreet and welcoming for men, with only male-identifying employees, volunteers, and service workers operating the centre.

In terms of financial operations that would need to be established to support the proposed centre, it is important to note that the WWHC is a member of the Women’s Health NSW network and is funded operationally through the NSW Ministry of Health on an annual basis. To supplement this baseline funding, the WWHC actively applies for project and service-based state funding, seeking sponsorship and fundraising donations from the community as a registered charity as well. The purchase and fit out of the building owned and operated by the WWHC in Peter Street was achieved through years of fundraising by volunteers, supported by local leaders, local businesses and organisations to achieve the fundraising goals to purchase the WWHC property in 2014.

Representatives from WWHC advised staff that their service operation model has two ‘work streams’, being clients and community. The five focus areas of client service provision are: crisis, case management, health services, therapy program, and social programs, while their community development stream relates to advocacy, community engagement, and primary prevention work.

Based on desktop research to date, the proposed community-led Riverina Men’s Health Centre would be a new service model as there is no other model like the one proposed existing in NSW or nationally. Similar to the WWHC model, and in order to establish the proposed Riverina Men’s Health Centre so that it can operate sustainably, an annual funding source would need to be sourced with the NSW government such as NSW Health, to employ the male only centre staff.

The table below outlines the key stakeholders consulted and key themes and feedback provided that has informed this report.

Representatives	Key themes & feedback
Men’s Consultation Group members	The proposed men’s health centre forms part of a broader set of short- and long-term goals for the group with the key focus of proposed centre being led by men for men. This item is one of several initiatives currently being considered as a focus of work by this group. This men’s leadership group is currently working to establish priority projects to focus on delivering in the primary prevention of gender-based violence in our community.
Murrumbidgee Men’s Group	A safe, trauma informed and supportive place for boys and men of all backgrounds, experiences, and circumstances, to connect, heal, and learn together. Model to be established should be led and managed by men for men and must be inclusive and welcoming to all. The WWHC is the ideal community-led model to base and develop a “Riverina Men’s Wellness Centre”.
Wagga Wagga Women’s Health Centre (Chair, Director and practitioners)	Establish a male-only safe, trauma resolved service framework to provide boys and men’s health services, positive role modelling, and social connection opportunities in the prevention of domestic and family violence. This proposed service would also facilitate respectful and meaningful conversations about the evolution of gender, masculinity, and identity; to be led and administered by men for men. Willingness of the WWHC to share their own successful community-led service model that has been built and refined over a 50-year period of service to the women of Wagga Wagga and surrounding region.
Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga (Practitioners)	Support for male-led and managed service providing a safe space for social connections outside of alcohol-based, gambling venues for men with translated resources, trauma informed, culturally safe, for example, a prayer room to fulfill faith commitments, and no eligibility for participation in health programs with consideration for boys and men living with disabilities and their male carers.
NSW Community Corrections (Management and practitioners)	When immediate needs of post incarceration are met, e.g. housing, employment, there could be an opportunity to connect men released from incarceration with this type of male-led and administered service for the long term to support positive living skills and community connections.
First Nations Elder and Cultural Knowledge Holders	A safe space created by men for men to address the specific needs of boys and men in our community. Connection with country is critical to the centre success, culturally and trauma informed strengths-based programming, inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community, to debunk misconceptions of masculinity and safely attend to sense of disconnection, disenfranchisement with some male cohorts and assist in issues relating to employment, housing, mental health, disability, and wellbeing.
LGBTQIA+ community members	Creating safe and judgement-free places for LGBTQIA+ men and masc-people is important. The centre will need safeguards in place to ensure that the male management committee and male team members ensure male-identifying people from all identities and experiences are welcomed into the space. The space should look beyond clinical services and seek to attend to all aspects of health in a person, to be their best self. In line with the National Men’s Health Strategy 2020-2030, the terminology used when referring to men and boys, should not exclude masculine people, trans-men, and other male-identifying people of diverse sexualities.
Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (Management feedback based on clinical practice)	Supportive of investigation into non-clinical model of health to support men in our community. Invited members of a future men’s health centre working group to present their model and plans to the Health Precinct Advisory Group who would welcome the opportunity to discuss and learn more about what this service model could offer to address gaps in service for men living in Wagga Wagga and surrounding areas.

NOM-1 Riverina Men’s Health Centre

f receives a report on the process to establish a Riverina Men’s Health Centre which includes, but is not limited to:

i who the key stakeholders are.

ii the steps involved.

iii the role of Council.

iv consideration of a steering committee or other such panel such as a stakeholder advisory group to oversee and guide the initial development of this centre.

This staff report details initial engagement with community stakeholders on the health needs of men in our community, allowing them to express their views of what a men’s health centre could look like in the future. Given the expressed view in the feedback received by staff is for a dedicated community-led men’s health centre, by men for men, it is crucial at this point that a dedicated community-led working group of men is established with the express purpose of working together to undertake further planning and investigation on the establishment of a Riverina Men’s Health Centre. The working group could be a subgroup of the established Men’s Consultative Group or could include some of these members along with other men recruited to be members of this dedicated volunteer working group.

After this group is established their work would, in the first instance, need to focus on further consultation with the broader male-identifying community groups and individuals, noting that this report only details initial discussions with a selection of key stakeholders. Further extensive consultation led by this volunteer working group should seek to engage, but not be limited to, the following demographic groups: boys and adult men from First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse, masculine and male-identifying members of the LGBTQIA+ community, disability, sport, Defence (serving and retired), religious and spiritual leaders, and male social service practitioners. Consultation should also occur more generally in the community, along with other community organisations and government funding agencies. This work would form the evidence required to build a detailed Business Case for the model of service to be established. As detailed in the petition received on 23 April 2025 in support of the establishment of a ‘Men’s Wellness Centre in Wagga’, this petition should be attached to any future business case as evidence of community wide support to progress this proposed centre.

Further mentoring and strategic planning support would need to be funded. To support a future Riverina Men’s Health Centre working group it is suggested that they would engage men with particular skill sets to undertake the following steps:

- Establishment of a Riverina Men’s Health Centre governance structure, including mission and vision.

- Develop a detailed Business Case, including workforce planning, risk management, scoping and development of detail design for capital works program and budget or property lease/ownership ventures, business model of operation, service program schedule, and financial viability plan.

- Identify and pursue partnerships and state government funding sources for operations.

Council’s role

Council plays an active role advocating and working in partnership with multiple local not for profit organisations, government agencies, and community groups, to raise awareness of domestic and family violence (DFV) and supporting the implementation of community-informed prevention and intervention strategies. It is important to note that Council is not a direct service provider as our community has state-funded local service providers contracted to lead and provide a range of health services including domestic and family violence crisis and intervention support services.

With the feedback received from stakeholders highlighting the importance that this project must be community-led, by men for men, ultimately the planning of the next stages of this proposed centre will require a community-led men’s working group to be established to focus on the continued planning of this proposed centre.

Council can provide practical support to community groups who lead these types of initiatives to benefit their planning and development. Council’s commitment to the community is also outlined in the organisation’s adopted Advocacy Plan which includes a statement of commitment toward the prevention of Domestic and Family Violence: “We will advocate for resources and funding levels that support the front-line services and other organisations addressing coercive control, abuse and violence and their delivery of preventative programs to address gender equity and respectful relationships”.

In the first instance the practical support Council can offer to a future community-led working group is the provision of a safe, accessible meeting space, along with support letters and information on future funding opportunities available at a State and Federal level that prioritise this type of community initiative project. As the project concept and business model progresses, this working group would be able to consider any future expression of interest public notifications by Council regarding community leasing opportunities and express an interest through Council’s public submission process.

Summary

The success of the Men’s Leadership Forum in July 2024 has had a catalytic effect on local male community leaders as seen in the establishment of the Men’s Consultative Group co-chaired by the WWHC and a representative from the Men’s Consultative Group. The membership of this group consists of male community leaders representing the perspectives of First Nations and multicultural communities, non-government support services and government agencies, alongside male representatives from all tiers of government.

The concept of a Riverina Men’s Health Centre is still in the early stages of concept planning. To further investigate the viability of this proposal, it is crucial at this point that a dedicated community-led working group of men is established with the express purpose of working together to undertake further planning on the establishment a Riverina Men’s Health Centre.

Along with a literature review and audit of current services available for men’s health in the city, this staff report provides Councillors with initial stakeholder feedback, which has strongly directed that this proposed centre must be a community-led health service model, led by men for men. Feedback from stakeholders has emphasised that this proposed centre must not be government-led or operated, stating instead that it must be community-led with future operations to be underpinned by state funding, operating along similar lines to the successful 50-year business operations of the Wagga Women’s Health Centre model.

Council can lend support to any future Riverina Men’s Health Centre working group in the form of practical support, for example, the provision of a safe, accessible meeting space, along with advocacy to other levels of government for services such as the proposed Riverina Men’s Health Centre and provide letters of support for any future funding bids a working group identifies to support the development of the proposed centre.

To respect the feedback received from stakeholders consulted during the development of this staff report, and in order that Council have a community contact point on this matter, it is suggested that staff contact the Men’s Consultative Group to provide them with the report’s findings. This would be so this Group can ascertain if they will lead the work needed to be undertaken now or engage with other male groups or individuals to establish a Riverina Men’s Health Centre working group to progress the planning of the proposed Riverina Men’s Health Centre.

Financial Implications

This report does not request any financial commitments be undertaken by Council. Any future resourcing requests to Council would be considered on merit at that time and be subject to separate reports to Council.

Policy and Legislation

Petitions Management Policy POL 086

Link to Strategic Plan

Regional Leadership

Leadership - Wagga Wagga is a regional leader and advocates for improved outcomes for our community

Provide strategic direction and leadership for our region to deliver key community priorities.

Risk Management Issues for Council

N/A

Internal / External Consultation

At the ordinary meeting Council resolved that staff undertake consultation with a number of stakeholders to seek input and bring back the findings to Council on a proposed new service model to respond to service gaps identified and outlined in this staff report for a proposed Riverina Men’s Health Centre to be established in the city.

Staff completed an initial engagement process with community representatives including Elders and cultural knowledge holders, Wagga Wagga Women’s Health Centre, Men’s Consultation Group, Murrumbidgee Men’s Group, Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga, Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, Corrective Services NSW – NSW Department of Communities and Justice, and members of the LGBTIQ+ community.

Internal consultation was also undertaken with the Property, Corporate Planning, and Community Services teams.

References:

BOCSAR, Crime statistics by LGA. March 2025 [online]. Available at: https://bocsar.nsw.gov.au/statistics-dashboards/crime-and-policing/lga-excel-crime-tables.html

Wagga Women’s Health Centre, Wagga Wagga and Surrounds Men’s leadership Forum Report 2024. April 2025. Available at: https://www.dv2650.org.au/

profile.id.com.au. (n.d.), Population | Wagga Wagga City Council | Community profile. 2025. [online] Available at: https://profile.id.com.au/wagga-wagga/population.

NSW Ministry of Health, Men’s Mental Health: A Focus on Suicide Prevention

October 2024. Available at: Men’s Mental Health (nsw.gov.au)

Commonwealth of Australia as represented by the Department of Health, National Men’s Health Strategy 2020-2030, 2019. Available at: National Men's Health Strategy 2020-2030

Wagga Wagga City Council 2021, theDVproject:2650 Closeout Report, visit https://wagga.nsw.gov.au/community/programs-and-initiatives/thedvproject

Commonwealth of Australia 2022, The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032, visit: https://www.dss.gov.au/ending-violence

Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, 2004 Inquiry into crime in the community: victims, offenders, and fear of crime, House of Representatives Committees, https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=laca/crimeinthecommunity/report.htm

Attachments

1 ⇩.	Response to NOM - Riverina Men's Health Centre - Petition
2 ⇩.	Response to NOM - Riverina Men's Health Centre - Letters of Support
3 ⇩.	Response to NOM - Riverina Men's Health Centre - Mens Health Audit

Report submitted to the Ordinary Meeting of Council on Monday 12 May 2025

RP-2

RP-2 RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF MOTION - DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH QUALITY AGRICULTURAL LAND

Author: Cameron Collins

General Manager: Peter Thompson

Summary:

This report has been prepared in response to a Motion submitted by Councillor Richard Foley seeking avenues to protect prime agricultural land whilst also planning for sustainable solar development.

Sections 1 to 5 of the report provide background information on the NSW statutory planning system in relation to the assessment of solar farm developments, including developments on high-quality agricultural land. Section 6 provides information on legal avenues under the planning system for the protection of high-quality agricultural land.

Recommendation

That Council receive and note the report.

Report

This report is submitted for the information of Council. It has been prepared in response to the following Notice of Motion of Council dated 10 February 2025.

That Council:

a rescinds Resolution No. 25/006 from the 20 January 2025 Ordinary Council Meeting, which reads as follows:

That Council receive a report:

a investigating the establishment of a Reference Group that could include relevant stakeholders such as farmers, energy experts, state planning authorities, and the Department of Planning and Environment

b detailing options for a framework for Electricity Generating Works that may Include:

i draft provisions for a policy to guide development for any 'Electricity Generating Works' in the Wagga LGA

ii decommissioning plans and rehabilitation of the site and land restoration when the energy generation use ends

c identifying partnerships and investment opportunities with companies focused on solar waste management, circular design, decommissioning and rehabilitation suitable for the Special Activation Precinct

d recognises wide community concerns within the Wagga Wagga LGA and the broader Riverina about large-scale solar energy generation (solar farm) developments on prime agricultural land, including arable farmland and quality livestock-grazing areas

e receives a report within two months that outlines the legal avenues available (if any) for Council to:

i protect high-quality agricultural land, including land verified as Land and Soil Capability (LSC) classes 1 to 3 or Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL), by prohibiting any use other than agriculture, explicitly excluding solar energy generation works or any other non-agricultural development, regardless of impact mitigation measures

ii include safeguards such as mandatory decommissioning plans and rehabilitation of the site and financial guarantees (e.g., bonds) to cover the costs of land restoration when the energy generation use ends

iii prioritise solar installations on rooftops, car parks, and marginal land, aligning with state renewable energy targets

d in addition, the report should also include any advocacy required to amend state legislation, policy or guidelines to further protect prime agricultural land and have a consistent approach to assessing solar energy generation applications regardless of the scale of the development

1 Permissibility of Land Uses under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

The Council Notice of Motion (NOM) seeks information on the legal avenues available to protect “high-quality agricultural land” from the development of non-agricultural land uses.

Land use development in NSW is governed by the provisions of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1974 (EP&A Act). Division 4.1 of the EP&A Act provides that an Environmental Planning Instrument (EPI), such as a Local Environmental Plan (LEP) or State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) can:

(i) specify that certain development may be carried out without the need for development consent on certain land specified by the EPI (i.e. Development that does not need consent).

(ii) specify that certain development may not be carried out except with development consent on certain land specified by the EPI (i.e. Development that needs consent).

(iii) specify that development cannot be carried out on land with or without development consent, (i.e. Development that is prohibited).

It is this Division of the EP&A Act that provides the legal avenue by which land uses are controlled including the avenues for prohibition of land uses on agricultural land.

An EPI will categorise land by reference to a specific land use zone. The land use zones that are relevant to Council’s NOM are:

· RU1 Primary Production

· RU2 Rural Landscape

· RU3 Forestry

· RU4 Primary Production Small Lots

These land use zones are relevant to the Council NOM as they coincide with the areas of the Wagga Wagga LGA that will contain “high-quality agricultural land”.

For the purposes of this report, “high quality agricultural land” will be defined as land comprising either:

· Land having a Land and Soil Capability (LSC) class of 1, 2 or 3; or

· Land that is classified as Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL).

The LSC classification system and BSAL are outlined later in Section 3 of this report.

1.1 Environmental Planning Instruments (EPIs)

Land use permissibility within the Wagga Wagga LGA is governed by the provisions of the Wagga Wagga Local Environmental Plan 2010 (LEP 2010) and also a series of State Environmental Planning Policies that apply across the state.

1.1.1 Local Environmental Plans

Land use permissibility is addressed in the Land Use Table contained within the LEP 2010, covering all land use zones across the entirety of the Wagga Wagga LGA. The format of the Land Use Table including the standard zones and defined land uses is stipulated in the Standard Instrument—Principal Local Environmental Plan.

This is relevant to Council’s NOM as an EPI (including the LEP 2010) cannot introduce further sub-zones with differing land use provisions. For example, the EPI cannot provide a subzone within the RU1 (Primary Production) zone that could further distinguish “high-quality agricultural land” from other land in that zone.

An example of the LEP 2010 Land Use Table for the RU1 (Primary Production) zone is provided in Table 1 below. Part c(i) of the Council NOM would seek to prohibit any of the “non-agricultural” related land uses identified (and highlighted) in item 2 and 3 of the table. As there would be no ability to provide a sub-zone encapsulating the “high-quality agricultural land”, any adopted prohibitions would therefore extend across the entirety of the RU1 zone, irrespective of the agricultural quality of the land.

It is also important to note that the RU1 zone example below is an “open zone”. This means that any other land use is permissible with consent in the zone if it is not listed in either item 2 (permitted without consent) or item 4 (prohibited) of the table. The “open zone” provision is highlighted in Table 1 below and is relevant to the Council NOM as “electricity generating works” (which includes solar farms) are permissible with consent because of this provision.

Table 1: RU1 Land Use Table – LEP 2010

Zone RU1 Primary Production
1 Objectives of zone • To encourage sustainable primary industry production by maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base. • To encourage diversity in primary industry enterprises and systems appropriate for the area. • To minimise the fragmentation and alienation of resource lands. • To minimise conflict between land uses within this zone and land uses within adjoining zones. • To foster strong, sustainable rural community lifestyles. • To maintain the rural landscape character of the land. • To allow tourist and visitor accommodation only where it is in association with agricultural activities.
2 Permitted without consent Environmental protection works; Extensive agriculture; Home businesses; Home occupations; Roads
3 Permitted with consent Aquaculture; Artisan food and drink industries; Bed and breakfast accommodation; Cellar door premises; Dual occupancies; Dwelling houses; Extractive industries; Farm buildings; Farm stay accommodation; Hardware and building supplies; Home industries; Intensive livestock agriculture; Intensive plant agriculture; Markets; Open cut mining; Roadside stalls; Rural supplies; Rural workers’ dwellings; Secondary dwellings; Timber yards; Any other development not specified in item 2 or 4
4 Prohibited Airports; Amusement centres; Camping grounds; Caravan parks; Commercial premises; Crematoria; Eco-tourist facilities; Entertainment facilities; Exhibition homes; Exhibition villages; Freight transport facilities; Function centres; Health services facilities; Heavy industrial storage establishments; Home occupations (sex services); Industrial training facilities; Industries; Local distribution premises; Mortuaries; Passenger transport facilities; Recreation facilities (indoor); Registered clubs; Residential accommodation; Restricted premises; Sex services premises; Storage premises; Tourist and visitor accommodation; Transport depots; Truck depots; Vehicle body repair workshops; Vehicle repair stations; Warehouse or distribution centres; Wharf or boating facilities; Wholesale supplies

Zone RU1 Primary Production

1 Objectives of zone

• To encourage sustainable primary industry production by maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base.

• To encourage diversity in primary industry enterprises and systems appropriate for the area.

• To minimise the fragmentation and alienation of resource lands.

• To minimise conflict between land uses within this zone and land uses within adjoining zones.

• To foster strong, sustainable rural community lifestyles.

• To maintain the rural landscape character of the land.

• To allow tourist and visitor accommodation only where it is in association with agricultural activities.

2 Permitted without consent

Environmental protection works; Extensive agriculture; Home businesses; Home occupations; Roads

3 Permitted with consent

Aquaculture; Artisan food and drink industries; Bed and breakfast accommodation; Cellar door premises; Dual occupancies; Dwelling houses; Extractive industries; Farm buildings; Farm stay accommodation; Hardware and building supplies; Home industries; Intensive livestock agriculture; Intensive plant agriculture; Markets; Open cut mining; Roadside stalls; Rural supplies; Rural workers’ dwellings; Secondary dwellings; Timber yards; Any other development not specified in item 2 or 4

4 Prohibited

Airports; Amusement centres; Camping grounds; Caravan parks; Commercial premises; Crematoria; Eco-tourist facilities; Entertainment facilities; Exhibition homes; Exhibition villages; Freight transport facilities; Function centres; Health services facilities; Heavy industrial storage establishments; Home occupations (sex services); Industrial training facilities; Industries; Local distribution premises; Mortuaries; Passenger transport facilities; Recreation facilities (indoor); Registered clubs; Residential accommodation; Restricted premises; Sex services premises; Storage premises; Tourist and visitor accommodation; Transport depots; Truck depots; Vehicle body repair workshops; Vehicle repair stations; Warehouse or distribution centres; Wharf or boating facilities; Wholesale supplies

1.1.2 State Environmental Planning Policies

There are a number of SEPPs that also deal with land use permissibility that may be consistent or inconsistent with the provisions of an LEP. As opposed to land uses generally, SEPPs will normally deal with a specific type of land use and its permissibility.

An example of this would be the Housing SEPP which specifies that certain types of housing is permissible with or without consent in certain prescribed land use zones. As an example, the Housing SEPP allows for certain group homes to be developed in certain residential zones without the need for development consent. The intent of the SEPP is to promote the diversity of housing types in residential areas across the state, despite an LEP containing a contrary provision that requires the group home to obtain consent.

In most cases, the provisions of a SEPP will prevail over the LEP as highlighted in the solar farm discussion under Section 2 below.

2 Solar Farms on high quality agricultural land

It is not possible to examine all possible “non-agricultural” land uses with respect to their permissibility under the LEP 2010 and any other applicable SEPP. For the purpose of examining the use of prohibitions as a legal avenue for protecting agricultural land, this section of the report examines solar farms and how this land use is controlled by the relevant EPIs affecting the Wagga Wagga LGA.

2.1 Electricity Generating Works Permissibility

The permissibility and requirement to obtain development consent for electricity generating works in the Wagga Wagga LGA is governed by the following 2 environmental planning instruments:

· Wagga Wagga Local Environmental Plan 2010 (LEP 2010)

· State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021(Transport and Infrastructure SEPP)

Under both instruments, electricity generating works is defined as follows:

electricity generating works means a building or place used for the purpose of

(a) making or generating electricity, or

(b) electricity storage.

This definition includes “solar farm” development which generally consist of a large collection of photovoltaic solar panels. The panels absorb energy from the sun, converting this energy into electricity that is then sent to the electricity grid for distribution and consumption.

As detailed below, electricity generating works are permissible with consent within the rural areas of the Wagga Wagga LGA under both the LEP 2010 and the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP.

2.1.1 LEP 2010 – Permissibility

With the exception of the RU5 Village Zone under which they are expressly prohibited, electricity generating works (including solar farms) are permitted with consent in all Rural Zones under the LEP 2010 as follows:

· RU1 Primary Production

· RU2 Rural Landscape

· RU3 Forestry

· RU4 Primary Production Small Lots

As electricity generating works are permissible with consent, a proponent may seek consent (i.e. lodge a Development Application) for this type of development on land within these zones.

2.1.2 Transport and Infrastructure SEPP – Permissibility

Division 4 of the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP specifically deals with development for electricity generating works.

Clause 2.36 identifies that development for the purpose of certain electricity generating works (including solar farms) may be carried out by any person with consent on any land in a prescribed non-residential zone. The following table identifies the prescribed non-residential zones and how they relate to the Wagga Wagga LGA.

Table 2: Prescribed Zones – SEPP Transport and Infrastructure

Prescribed non-residential zones under Transport and Infrastructure SEPP	Relationship to the LEP 2010
RU1 Primary Production	Solar farms are also permissible in this zone under the LEP 2010
RU2 Rural Landscape	Solar farms are also permissible in this zone under the LEP 2010
RU3 Forestry	Solar farms are also permissible in this zone under the LEP 2010
RU4 Primary Production Small Lots	Solar farms are also permissible in this zone under the LEP 2010
E4 General Industrial	Solar farms are also permissible in this zone under the LEP 2010
E5 Heavy Industrial	This zone does not exist under the LEP 2010
SP1 Special Activities	Solar farms are not permitted in any of the special activity zones under the LEP 2010
SP2 Infrastructure	Solar farms are not permitted in any of the special infrastructure zones under the LEP 2010
W4 Working Waterfront	This zone does not exist under the LEP 2010

2.1.3 Relationship between the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP and LEP2010

Clause 2.7 of the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP identifies that if there is an inconsistency with regard to the permissibility of electricity generating works under Clause 2.36 of the SEPP and permissibility under another environmental planning instrument (including the LEP 2010), the provisions of the SEPP prevail to the extent of the inconsistency. As detailed in the Table 2 above, solar electricity generating works are permissible under both instruments in the 4 rural zones (RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU4), and therefore, there is no inconsistency with respect to permissibility within the rural areas of the Wagga Wagga LGA.

However, if Council was to seek an amendment to the LEP 2010 which would result in the prohibition of electricity generating works within some or all of the 4 rural zones (RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU4), such an amendment would not achieve its intended effect as permissibility of electricity generating works in these zones under the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP would prevail.

2.2 Consent Authority for Electricity Generating Works

Whilst development consent is required for solar farm developments within the rural zones under the LEP 2010 and the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP, the authority empowered to grant that consent will vary depending on the circumstances of the particular development proposal.

Council will be the consent authority for electricity generating works proposed on land within the Wagga Wagga LGA in circumstances where the development is not declared to be State Significant Development (SSD) or Regionally Significant Development (RSD). The terms of these declarations are governed by state policy and are explained in Sections 2.21 and 2.23 of this report.

Table 3 below summarises the type of development and what authority is responsible for both the assessment and final determination of the development application.

Table 3: SSD, RSD and Local Development Declaration

Type of Development	Relevant SEPP and provision	Trigger under SEPP	Consent Authority	Assessment and Administration
State Significant Development (SSD)	State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021 Clause 2.6 and Schedule 1 of the SEPP	Has an estimated development cost of more than $30 million	Minister for Planning (or their delegate) Or Independent Planning Commission (IPC)	Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI)
Regionally Significant Development (RSD)	State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021 Clause 2.19 and Schedule 6 of the SEPP	Private infrastructure (which includes electricity generating works) that has an estimated development cost of more than $5 million	Planning Panel	Council staff
Local Development		Any Development that is nor SSD or RSD	Council (elected) Or Council staff under delegation	Council staff

2.2.1 Declaration of State Significant Development (SSD) including SSD Solar Farms

SSD is development that is important to the State for economic, environmental or social reasons. Under the EP&A Act, development can become SSD in two ways: through a declaration in a SEPP or through a declaration in an order made by the Minister for Planning.

State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021 declares certain classes of development to be SSD based on their scale, nature and economic value. This includes types of development that meet the criteria in Schedule 1 of the SEPP, such as certain:

· mining, extractive industries, intensive agriculture, industrial processing and manufacturing facilities

· warehouses, distribution centres and data centres

· cultural, recreation and tourist facilities

· social infrastructure (education, health and correctional centres)

· transport facilities (air, rail, ports)

· non-linear utility development (electricity, water, sewerage and waste facilities).

In relation to solar farms proposed within the Wagga Wagga LGA, the development is declared SSD if it has an estimated development cost of more than $30 million. Section 2.3 (Table 4) identifies solar farms in the LGA which have been declared SSD.

2.2.2 Consent Authority for State Significant Development (SSD) including SSD Solar Farms

For SSD, the Minister for Planning (or delegate) will determine the application except in the following circumstances. In these circumstances, the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) will determine the DA.

· the council of the area in which the development is to be carried out has objected to the DA

· there are at least 50 objections (other than from a council) to the DA (where petitions and submissions that contain substantially the same text count as one objection)

· the applicant has disclosed a reportable political donation.

Prior to determination of the SSD application, the assessment of the application is coordinated by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI). DPHI describe their role in this process as:

· Carrying out all relevant administrative functions, (publishing information, exhibition, public notices, etc).

· Co-ordinating the assessment with key Local, State and Australian Government agencies.

· Encouraging community participation.

· Preparing the detailed assessment, including any recommended conditions of consent.

· Providing expert advice to the Independent Planning Commission and the Minister to assist decision-making.

· Monitoring compliance and taking regulatory action where necessary.

2.2.3 Declaration of Regionally Significant Development (RSD) including RSD Solar Farms

RSD is development that is important at a regional level for economic, environmental or social reasons. Under the EP&A Act, development can become Regionally Significant Development (RSD) by declaration in a SEPP.

State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021 declares certain classes of development to be RSD under Schedule 6. The declarations can be summarised as including:

· projects with a capital investment value of more than $30 million

· projects with a capital investment value of more than $5 million that are:

o council-related

o lodged for the State of NSW

o private infrastructure and community projects

o eco-tourism facilities

· certain extractive industries, waste facilities and marinas

The schedule identities electricity generating works (including solar farms) as a type of “private infrastructure”. Therefore, the trigger under this schedule for solar farm development is development having an estimated cost of more than $5 million. Section 2.3 (Table 4) identifies solar farms in the LGA which have been declared RSD.

2.2.4 Consent Authority for Regionally Significant Development (RSD) including RSD Solar Farms

The consent authority for RSD within the Wagga Wagga LGA is the Southern Regional Planning Panel (SRPP). Whilst the SRPP is the consent authority, Council planning staff will administer and assess the application. Council staff will prepare a final assessment report and recommendation that is tabled to the SRPP for its consideration and final determination.

As demonstrated in in Section 2.3 (Table 4) of this report, the majority of existing solar farm proposals, to date, within the Wagga Wagga LGA have triggered the thresholds for either SSD or RSD and have been (or will be) determined by the Planning Minister (or delegate), IPC or the SRPP. Given the low threshold for RSD solar farm proposals ($5 million CIV) it is unlikely that any future proposal will be determined by Council as local development.

2.3 Solar Farms – Wagga Wagga LGA (SSD and RSD)

Table 4 below provides an overview of current solar farm developments (including 2 battery energy storage system projects – BESS) within the Wagga Wagga LGA. These include any SSD, RSD or local project that has received development consent. It also includes any SSD project that has at least received SEARs (Secretary’s environmental assessment requirements).

Three projects identified in the table (highlighted) encroach on “high-quality agricultural land”.

Table 4: Solar Farm and BESS Projects – Wagga Wagga LGA

Project	Size (MW)	CIV	SSD, RSD or local (Consent Authority)	Status	Footprint (Ha)	LSC Class 3 Land
SSD-80114208 731 Livingstone Gully Rd Big Springs	300-600	Over $30m	SSD (Minister or IPC)	SEARS issued - EIS preparation	1,345	No
SSD-8825-Mod-4 Gregadoo Solar Farm Boiling Down Road Gregadoo	65	$95m	SSD (Minister)	Approved Modification to add BESS under assessment	97	No
Bellhaven BESS 233 Boiling Down Road Rowan	BESS proposal 400MW/800MWh	Over $30m	SSD (Minister or IPC)	SEARS issued - EIS preparation	10	No
SSD-77527735 Mangoplah BESS Holbrook Road, Mangoplah	BESS proposal 100MW/400MWh	Over $30m	SSD (Minister or IPC)	SEARS issued - EIS preparation	4	No
SSD 8835 Bomen Solar Farm Trahairs Road Bomen	100	$164m	SSD (Minister)	Approved - operational	256	No (located within Bomen SAP)
DA24/0452 1000 Burkes Creek Rd THE ROCK	6.3	$6.5m	RSD (SJRPP)	Under assessment	15	Yes
DA22/0122 Boorool 1268 Oxley Bridge Rd URANQUINTY	5	$6.5m	RSD (SJRPP)	Approved - Construction commenced	16.67	Yes
DA21/0151 225 Trahairs Rd BOMEN	2.2	$3.34m	Local (WWCC)	Approved - operational	6.5	No (located within Bomen SAP)
DA20/0558 Fruitdale 190 Rodhams Rd URANQUINTY	12	$19m	RSD (SJRPP)	Approved - Not commenced	42	Yes
DA20/0016 157 Windmill Rd BOMEN	18.7	$26.8m	RSD (SJRPP)	Approved - operational	55	No (located within Bomen SAP)
DA17 157 Windmill Rd BOMEN	26	$29.2m	RSD (SJRPP) ( approved by Land & Environment Court)	Approved - operational	70	No (located within Bomen SAP)
DA17/0434 16 Jersey St BOMEN	2.5	$2.5m	Local (WWCC)	Approved - Not commenced - Consent lapsed	2.3	No (located within Bomen SAP)

3 High-Quality Agricultural Land

With reference to the term used in the Council NOM and for the purposes of this report, “high-quality agricultural land” will be defined as land comprising either:

· Land having a Land and Soil Capability (LSC) class of 1, 2 or 3; or

· Land that is classified as Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL).

This is consistent with the classification of land identified as “important agricultural land” in the NSW Government’s “Large Scale Solar Energy Guideline” as discussed in section 5 of this Report.

3.1 Land and Soil Capability (LSC) classes 1 to 3

Land and Soil Capability (LSC) mapping has been developed by NSW Office of Environment and Heritage through the assessment of eight key soil and landscape limitations (water erosion, wind erosion, salinity, topsoil acidification, shallow soils/rockiness, soil structure decline, waterlogging and mass movement).

The mapping is based on an eight class system with values ranging between 1 and 8 representing a decreasing capability of the land to sustain land use. Class 1 represents land capable of sustaining most land uses including those that have a high impact on the soil (e.g. regular cultivation), whilst class 8 represents land that can only sustain very low impact land uses (e.g. nature conservation).

Table 5 – LSC Classes 1-8

“High-quality agricultural land” refers to the 3 highest classes of land (classes 1 to 3) which are capable of sustaining a wide variety of land uses, having moderate to no limitations.

3.1.1 LSC classes within the Wagga Wagga LGA

The Wagga Wagga LGA only contains “high-quality agricultural land” within class 3 of the LSC system as detailed in the table and map extracts below.

Table 6 – LSC Classes within the Wagga Wagga LGA

Class (LSC)	Land area within Wagga Wagga LGA (ha)
1	0
2	0
3	153,170
4 - 8	328,990
Total area of LGA	482,160

Class 3 land in the Wagga Wagga LGA is primarily located in the western parts of the LGA, predominantly to the north and west of the city. The following map extracts (Figures 1 and 2) are taken from the NSW Government SEED (Sharing and Enabling Environmental Data) portal. The map extracts identify the areas of the LGA dominated by LSC Class 3 land (dark green shading).

Figure 1 – LSC classification – Wagga Wagga LGA – North West

Figure 2 – LSC classification – Wagga Wagga LGA – South West

The map extracts in Figure 2 above, identifies the approximate location (1, 2 & 3) of the 3 solar farm projects impacting on Class 3 identified in Table 4 in Section 2.3 above. The combined footprint of these 3 projects impacting on LSC class 3 land is detailed in Table 7 below. This total footprint accounts for less than less than 0.05% of all class 3 land across the Wagga Wagga LGA.

Table 7 – Cumulative impact of solar farm projects on LSC class 3 land - Wagga Wagga LGA

Project impacting Class 3 land		Area of Class 3 land impacted (Ha)
1	DA24/0452 1000 Burkes Creek Rd THE ROCK	15
2	DA22/0122 BOOROOL 1268 Oxley Bridge Rd URANQUINTY	16.67
3	DA20/0558 Fruitdale 190 Rodhams Rd URANQUINTY	42
COMBINED PROJECT AREAS		73.67
TOTAL AREA OF LSC CLASS 3 LAND IN LGA		153,170
% CLASS 3 LAND IMPACTED		0.048%

With respect to the wider cumulative impact of solar farms across the State, the NSW Government’s “Large Scale Solar Guideline” (see discussion under Section 5 of this report) states that the Australian Energy Market Operator estimates that NSW will need approximately 20,000 MW of large scale solar generation by 2050. This would require approximately 40,000 ha of land or only 0.06% of rural land in NSW. Even in the highly unlikely scenario that all of NSW’s solar generation were located on important agricultural land, only 0.4% of this land would be required.

3.2 Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL)

Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL) is land comprising the best quality landforms and also high-quality soil and water resources. This land is capable of sustaining high levels of productivity and requires minimal management practices to maintain this high quality. BSAL plays a critical role sustaining the State’s agricultural industry.

BSAL mapping has been granted legal effect through its adoption under State Environmental Planning Policy (Resources and Energy) 2021. Its adoption in the SEPP requires any state significant mining or coal seam gas project located on BSAL is subject additional scrutiny in the form of an independent, upfront and scientific assessment of the land and water impacts of the proposal.

BSAL mapping has also been recognised as important agricultural land under the NSW Government’s Large-Scale Solar Energy Guideline. Proponents of SSD large scale solar farms impacting on important agricultural land are required to undertake an agricultural impact assessment to determine:

· the agricultural capability and productivity of land subject to the project site

· potential impacts of the solar energy project on agricultural land and associated industries

· the ways in which potential impacts may be mitigated.

Further information on the guideline is detailed in Section 5 later in this report.

3.1.2 BSAL within the Wagga Wagga LGA

Current mapping of BSAL in the Wagga Wagga LGA is predominantly restricted to areas along the Murrumbidgee River floodplain as illustrated by the bright green shading in Figure 3 below. In addition to its proximity to the Murrumbidgee River, the areas of mapped BSAL with Class 3 land under LSC system located within the floodplain corridor of the river.

Given that BSAL is within the floodplain of the Murrumbidgee River, the high risk flooding constraint would preclude many non-agricultural land uses (including solar farms) from this area. The vast majority of this land is utilised for agricultural production and currently remains largely devoid of any non-agricultural land uses. As a consequence, it is unlikely that this land will be subjected to non-agricultural development pressure in the future.

Figure 3 – BSAL – Wagga Wagga LGA

4 Assessment Requirements

Where a non-agricultural land use is permissible with consent in a rural zone, a person may make application to the consent authority for that development.

Upon receipt of the application, the consent authority is responsible for the assessment and determination of the development application. In determining the application, the consent authority may either:

· approve the application unconditionally; or

· approve the application subject to conditions; or

· refuse the application (if the application is refused, reasons must be given as to why the application has been refused).

Whilst a non-agricultural related land use may be permissible with consent on rural zoned land that incorporates “high-quality agricultural land”, the impact of that development on this land must be considered during the assessment of the application under the provision to the EP&A Act.

4.1 Evaluation under Section 4.15(1) of the EP&A Act

In determining an application, the EP&A Act requires that the consent authority give appropriate consideration to matters if relevance identified under Section 4.15(1) of the Act. These matters include:

· the provisions of any EPI (LEPs and SEPPs) including any draft EPIs that apply to the land to which the development application relates

· any development control plans that apply to the land to which the development application relates

· the likely impacts of that development, including environmental impacts on both the natural and built environments, and social and economic impacts in the locality,

· the public interest.

For any development that is permissible with development consent, the provisions of Section 4.15(1) remain a “legal avenue” to ensure that inappropriate impact on “high-quality agricultural land” is avoided. The provision acts as a “safety net” to ensure that the impacts of any permissible development are considered as part of a balanced assessment to inform the consent authority’s final determination.

With regard to the protection of “high-quality agricultural land”, the following comments are provided with regard to the matters for consideration under Section 4.15(1).

4.1.1 Consideration of EPIs and draft EPIs - s4.15(1)(a)(i) & (ii)

The following EPIs are examined as having relevance to the development on rural land:

· Wagga Wagga Local Environmental Plan 2010 (LEP 2010)

· State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021(Transport and Infrastructure SEPP)

· State Environmental Planning Policy (Primary Production) 2021(Primary Production SEPP)

As identified below, none of these instruments contain specific provisions that would restrict permissible non-agricultural development from being considered on rural land.

In addition to this, and in relation to solar farm development, none of the instruments contain specific provisions dealing with matters identified in parts c(ii) and c(iii) of Council’s NOM, including the requirement for mandatory decommissioning and rehabilitation plans, the requirement for the establishment of financial guarantees for land restoration or the requirement for locational prioritisations such as rooftops, car or marginal land.

LEP 2010

As identified earlier, there are a number of non-agricultural land uses that are permitted with consent within the rural zones under the LEP 2010, including electricity generating works. In considering whether consent should be granted, the consent authority must consider the objectives of the zone. For example, the objectives of the RU1 Primary Production zone are:

· To encourage sustainable primary industry production by maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base.

· To encourage diversity in primary industry enterprises and systems appropriate for the area.

· To minimise the fragmentation and alienation of resource lands.

· To minimise conflict between land uses within this zone and land uses within adjoining zones.

· To foster strong, sustainable rural community lifestyles.

· To maintain the rural landscape character of the land.

· To allow tourist and visitor accommodation only where it is in association with agricultural activities.

Whilst a number of these objectives relate to the protection of agricultural land, there are no other specific provisions of the LEP 2010 that deal either with the protection of “high-quality agricultural land” from non-agricultural development (including solar farms) or with the protection of this land generally.

Transport and Infrastructure SEPP

Division 4 of SEPP (Transport and Infrastructure), specifically deals with development for electricity generating works.

Clause 2.36 of Division 4, identifies that development for the purpose of certain electricity generating works (including solar farms) may be carried out by any person with consent on any land in a prescribed non-residential zone. Prescribed zones include the RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU4 zones under the LEP.

Whilst the SEPP addresses the permissibility of a range of transport and infrastructure related development, it does not contain any other provisions that require the consideration of impact from these developments (including solar farms) on prime agricultural land.

Primary Production SEPP

Part 2.2 of this SEPP deals with state significant agricultural land (SSAL). The objectives of the part is:

(a) to identify State significant agricultural land and to provide for the carrying out of development on that land,

(b) to provide for the protection of agricultural land—

(i) that is of State or regional agricultural significance, and

(ii) that may be subject to demand for uses that are not compatible with agriculture, and

(iii) if the protection will result in a public benefit.

Land is identified as SSAL if it is contained in Schedule 1 of the SEPP. The SEPP requires that any development affected by SSAL must address any provisions contained in Schedule 1.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries is undertaking a mapping program to identify SSAL. This mapping is in an early draft stage and will be subject to continuous refinement before it is ready for use. At present, the mapping is very broad scale and not suitable for development proposal assessment.

It is intended that the draft SSAL map will eventually be used to provide information to planning authorities, land holders and development proponents about the location of the best agricultural land in the state.

Based on the status of this mapping, there is currently no SSAL identified in Schedule 1 of the Primary Production SEPP. There are also currently no provisions identified in Schedule 1 for consideration in relation to impact on SSAL.

The following is a map extract showing the current SSAL mapping within the Wagga Wagga LGA.

Figure 3 – SSAL – Wagga Wagga LGA

4.1.2 Consideration of DCPs - s4.15(1)(a)(iii)

Development on rural land must be considered against the provisions of the Wagga Wagga Development Control Plan 2010 (DCP 2010).

DCP 2010

Chapter 8 of the DCP 2010 deals with rural development. It incorporates a series of controls based on the following rural development design principles:

P1 Demonstrate responsible and sustainable use of agricultural land, and in particular prime crop and pasture land.

P2 Ensure land use compatibility by providing buffer areas, clearly defining building envelopes, and ensuring that new or nontraditional uses do not upset the balance unless well justified.

P3 Minimise impacts on vegetation, timber production, land capability (quality and stability of water courses), and ground water storage and riparian rights. Where possible, improve the environmental conditions of the site and locality.

Despite these principles, there are no controls within the DCP that specifically refer to or deal with “high-quality agricultural land” in relation to the protection of this land from non-agricultural land uses (including solar farms) or in relation to the protection of this land generally.

4.1.3 The likely impacts of that development - s4.15(1)(b)

The consent authority is required to give consideration to a broad range of likely environmental, social and economic impacts in the locality, resulting from the development and irrespective of the provisions of any relevant EPI or DCP.

For example, a development proposed on rural land will have a direct impact on that land, and the consent authority is required to give consideration to this impact when making its determination.

The applicant is required to prepare and submit a Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) or, in the case of Designated Development, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS). Both an SEE or EIS is required to outline the likely impacts of the proposal, and the proposed measures that will be employed to mitigate these impacts. This may include supporting specialist reports specifically prepared to focus on a particular impact (e.g. noise, bushfire, traffic, biodiversity, etc.).

4.1.4 The public interest - s4.15(1)(e)

This section covers a broad range of matters relevant to the development proposal if it is considered to be in the public interest to do so. As an example, such matters may extend to the consideration of other relevant government policy, standards or best practice guidelines.

The NSW Governments “Large Scale Solar Guideline” (August 2022) is an example of a best practice guideline that could be a relevant public interest consideration with respect to a solar farm development that has been proposed on rural land. The Large Scale Solar Guideline is discussed in Section 5 of this report below.

For RSD and Local development, the guideline is not called up for consideration under any EPI or DCP. However, it is reasonable to consider that the guideline should be considered in the public interest with respect to solar farm development.

5 Large Scale Solar Guideline

5.1 Purpose of Guideline

This Large-Scale Solar Energy Guideline was released in 2018, with the current updated version of the guideline being released in August 2022. The guideline provides the community, industry, applicants and regulators with guidance on the planning framework for the assessment of large-scale solar energy projects under the EP&A Act.

A full copy of the guideline and also a useful FAQ document are provided as an attachment to this report.

The objectives of the guideline are to:

· support the development of a sustainable solar industry in NSW by providing a clear, consistent and responsive policy framework

· encourage industry to select suitable sites for projects to avoid or reduce the likelihood and extent of land use conflicts and environmental and social impacts

· provide clear and consistent guidance on how to measure and assess key environmental impacts of large-scale solar energy projects in NSW

· promote meaningful, respectful, effective and best practice community and stakeholder engagement throughout the development assessment process.

This guideline applies to the development of large-scale solar energy projects that are declared as a state significant development (SSD). As stipulated in the Planning Secretary’s environmental assessment requirements (SEARs), applicants must consider the guideline and its supporting technical supplements in preparation of their environmental impact statement (EIS) and supporting technical reports.

Although large-scale solar energy projects are the focus of this guideline, the guideline encourages applicants, councils and planning panels to consider the objectives and principles when preparing, assessing and determining solar energy development applications for regionally significant development (RSD).

5.2 Agricultural Impact Assessment under Guideline

It is important to note that the guideline makes the following statements regarding the cumulative impact of large-scale solar development on agricultural land in NSW.

· Important agricultural land covers around 13.8% of the state and is 6 to 7 times more agriculturally productive than the remaining 86.2% of the state.

· Important agricultural land under the guideline includes LSC classes 1, 2 and 3 land and also BSAL (this is consistent with the “high value agricultural land” description used throughout this report).

· Agricultural land is desirable for the development of large-scale solar energy projects because:

- agricultural land is often flat, which reduces the scale and likelihood of visual impacts

- agricultural land is often cleared of vegetation, which limits any biodiversity impacts

- scale solar energy projects require large portions of contiguous land comparative to other types of industrial development

- solar energy development is permissible on land zoned for agricultural and rural land uses

· Despite these factors, the cumulative risk to agricultural land and productivity because of large-scale solar development is very low.

· The Australian Energy Market Operator estimates that NSW will need approximately 20,000 MW of large scale solar generation by 2050. This would require approximately 40,000 ha of land or only 0.06% of rural land in NSW.

· Even in the highly unlikely scenario that all of NSW’s solar generation were located on important agricultural land only 0.4% of this land would be required.

· Large-scale solar energy development and agricultural practices can work and exist together to benefit both landholders and solar development applicants. There are many examples of co-location such as sheep grazing, beekeeping and horticultural activities.

While the cumulative risk to both rural land and important agricultural land is deemed relatively low, the guideline aims to balance the need for renewable energy with the need to safeguard important agricultural land for food and fibre production and to ensure that any use of this land would not have a significant impact on the local and regional agricultural industry.

The guideline therefore requires an assessment of the impacts of large-scale solar energy projects where they may affect important agricultural land. The agricultural impact assessment is to ensure that there is a detailed understanding of:

· the agricultural capability and productivity of land subject to the project site

· potential impacts of the solar energy project on agricultural land and associated industries

· the ways in which potential impacts may be mitigated.

Once the capability of the land is verified, applicants may be required to undertake a basic, reduced or detailed assessment based on the following triggers:

Table 9 – Agricultural impact assessment under the Large Scale Solar Guideline

A detailed overview of how the assessment is to be completed is contained at Appendix A of the guideline (provided as an attachment). The assessment will then be used by the consent authority to guide their assessment of the impacts of the development and to determine the overall merits of the application.

5.3 SSD Solar Farms Assessed under Guideline

Table 10 below is a summary of all determined SSD applications for solar farms within NSW for the past 5 years (2020-25). The applications have been assessed against either the original 2018 guideline or the current (August 2022) updated guideline. All projects have been granted consent.

A number of the projects include areas of “high-quality agricultural land” (highlighted) within the footprint of the solar farm development.

Table 10 – SSD Large Scale Solar Projects Approved in NSW (2020 – 2025)

Project Name	LGA	Consent Date	Consent Authority (Minister or IPC)	Size (MW)	Footprint Area (Ha)	Area of LSC Class 1-3 or BSAL (Ha)
Middlebrook	Tamworth	11/11/24	IPC	320	515	0
Gunning	Upper Lachlan	29/10/24	Minister	250	486	151
Wallaroo	Yass Valley	11/9/24	IPC	100	165	0
Goulburn River	Upper Hunter	23/08/24	Minister	450	792	0
Birriwa	Mid Western Regional & Warrumbungle Shire	16/8/24	IPC	600	1197	0
Peninsula	Forbes	21/06/24	Minister	80	179	140
Daroobalgie	Forbes	04/06/24	Minister	100	277	0
Glanmire	Bathurst	30/1/24	IPC	60	186	40
Glenellen	Greater Hume	15/12/23	IPC	200	309	0
Oxley	Armidale	11/12/23	IPC	215	268	0
Marulan	Goulburn Mulwaree	16/08/23	Minister	152	330	0
Blind Creek	Queanbeyan-Palerang	28/07/23	Minister	350	685	0
Forest Glen	Dubbo	28/02/23	Minister	90	384	0
Silverleaf	Narrabri	21/04/22	Minister	120	396	46
Tilbuster	Armidale	03/03/22	Minister	150	168	0.21
Wellington North	Dubbo	21/04/21	Minister	300	814	YES
Culcairn	Greater Hume	25/3/21	IPC	350	892	0
Springdale	Yass Valley	19/2/21	IPC	100	185	0
Yarren Hut	Bogan	28/01/21	Minister	28	92	92
Bonshaw	Inverell	3/12/20	IPC	200	149	54
Jindera	Greater Hume	22/12/20	IPC	120	377	0
Walla Walla	Greater Hume	27/11/20	IPC	300	421	0
Maxwell	Muswellbrook	19/08/20	Minister	25	130	0
Quorn Park	Parkes	16/07/20	Minister	80	343	343
Yanco	Leeton	16/07/20	Minister	60	152	147
New England	Uralla Shire	9/3/20	IPC	720	2061	100

A review of the consent Departments assessment and recommendations with regard to the protection of “high-quality agricultural land” has been undertaken in relation to the SSD projects impacting on this land as highlighted in the Table 10 above. This review identified consistent reasoning across these projects as to why the consent authority supported these developments on “high-quality agricultural land” and why the authority ultimately granting consent to the projects. These reasons included:

· Being satisfied that the inherent agricultural capability of the land would not be affected by the project as it would be required to be returned back to the existing levels of capability following decommissioning.

· Being satisfied that land degradation issues, including weed management and minimum ground cover requirements, could be managed through strict land management measures.

· Being satisfied that there would be a continuation of agricultural output during solar production through the commitment to undertake grazing and other forms of compatible agriculture.

· Being satisfied that the project will not result in the fragmentation or alienation of any resource land in the locality.

· Being satisfied that the land can readily be returned to agricultural land following decommissioning.

· Being satisfied that the project footprint, combined with other approved and/or operational projects within the particular region, would impact on a tiny percentage of the overall area of agricultural land resulting in insignificant impact on the overall productivity of that region.

· Noting that, subject to the removal of all project infrastructure at decommissioning, DPI Agriculture did not raise concerns that long-term use of the land for agricultural purposes would be compromised.

· Concluding that the potential loss of a small area of agricultural land in the region and other potential land use conflicts must be balanced against:

- The broader strategic goals of the Commonwealth and NSW Governments for the development of renewable energy in the future;

- The environmental benefits of solar energy, particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions;

- The economic benefits of solar energy, particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions;

- The economic benefits of solar energy in an area with good solar resources and capacity in the existing electricity network; and

- The benefits of dispatchable energy for grid stability and reliability.

6 Legal Avenues to Protect High-Quality Agricultural Land

Based on the background information provided in Sections 1 – 5 of this report, this section of the report examines the “legal avenues” under the EP&A Act that Council may consider to either prohibit non-agricultural development from occurring on “high-quality agricultural land” or alternatively to ensure safeguards are in place to minimise impacts of this development

These legal avenues respond to the 3 parts of the Council NOM - c(i), c(ii) and c(iii).

6.1 Council Notice of Motion part c(i)

“That Council receives a report within two months that outlines the legal avenues available (if any) for Council to protect high-quality agricultural land, including land verified as Land and Soil Capability (LSC) classes 1 to 3 or Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL), by prohibiting any use other than agriculture, explicitly excluding solar energy generation works or any other non-agricultural development, regardless of impact mitigation measures”

As discussed below (sections 6.1.1 and 6.1.2), it is improbable that a legal avenue could be supported to introduce the prohibition of all uses, other than agriculture, on “high-quality agricultural land”.

6.1.1 Introduction of Land Use Prohibitions to the LEP 2010

This legal avenue would seek to introduce a prohibition of all non-agricultural related land uses, including electricity generating works, within the RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU4 zones through the Land Use Table (under Part 2) of the LEP 2010. The intended goal of protecting “high-quality agricultural land” from possible impacts of non-agricultural related development would be achieved through the simple exclusion of this type of development imposed by the prohibition across all rural lands, irrespective of the quality of the land.

It is improbable that this legal avenue could be supported for the following reasons:

· The prohibition would likely be ineffective with respect to certain development types (including electricity generating works as discussed earlier) being permissible within the rural zones under a relevant SEPP. As identified In Section 2.1 earlier in this report, an example of this circumstance would be electricity generating works which are permissible in the rural zones under the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP. As discussed, where there is an inconsistency, the provisions of the SEPP will prevail, rendering the intent of the prohibition under the LEP ineffective.

· The Planning Proposal to seek the introduction of non-agricultural prohibitions across the rural Zones under the LEP 2010 would unlikely be supported by the Department who would be seeking consistency with relevant State or regional planning guidance and the mandatory provisions in the standard instrument.

- The proposal would likely be deemed inconsistent with the aims and objectives of SEPPs that permit certain land uses with or without consent in these zones (such as the prohibition of electricity generating works which are permitted by the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP in rural zones).

- The proposal to prohibit non-agricultural land uses could be deemed inconsistent with the standard instrument which mandates that certain land uses are permissible in certain rural zones under an LEP with or without development consent. For example, an extractive industry (a non-agricultural land use) is mandated under the standard instrument as permissible with consent within the RU1 Primary Production Zone.

· The general prohibition of non-agricultural related development across the rural zones would not only restrict these land uses on “high-quality agricultural land” but would also restrict these uses on other land within rural areas which may have otherwise been deemed suitable for that development. This would effectively result in the unnecessary sterilisation of all rural land to potentially suitable non-agricultural land uses.

· The blanket prohibition of non-agricultural uses would render the render the rural zones as being suitable for agricultural uses only. Rural zones encompass land resources that are important to supporting a range of land uses, not just agriculture.

6.1.2 Introduction of a Restrictive Local Provision Clause to LEP 2010

As opposed to an outright prohibition being introduced across the entire zone (see 6.1.1 above), this avenue would propose the introduction of a restrictive clause under the LEP 2010 preventing the consent authority from granting consent to development for the purposes of non-agricultural land uses on specific land (i.e. “high-quality agricultural land”) located within the rural zones (RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU4).

It is improbable that this legal avenue could be supported for the following reasons:

· Subject to legal advice, it is likely that this type of Clause would effectively constitute a prohibition and would be ineffective for similar reasons to the avenue described in section 6.1.1 above. That is, the provisions of any relevant SEPP would prevail where the clause is inconsistent.

· The Planning Proposal seeking the introduction of the restrictive clause would unlikely be supported by the Department for similar reasons to the avenue described in section 6.1.1 above (i.e. it is likely to be inconsistent with relevant State or regional planning guidance and the mandatory provisions in the standard instrument).

· The clause would remove any opportunity for the consent authority to consider the overall merits of any non-agricultural related development on “high-quality agricultural land”. This would effectively sterilise this land from the ability to consider certain non-agricultural related development that, on overall merit, could be approved.

6.2 Council Notice of Motion part c(ii)

“That Council receives a report within two months that outlines the legal avenues available (if any) for Council to include safeguards such as mandatory decommissioning plans and rehabilitation of the site and financial guarantees (e.g., bonds) to cover the costs of land restoration when the energy generation use ends”

The following legal avenues (sections 6.2.1 and 6.2.2) could be investigated by Council to give effect to the matters raised in this part of the NOM.

6.2.1 Introduction of a Conditional Local Provision Clause to LEP 2010

Instead of prohibiting non-agricultural development from occurring on rural land, this legal avenue would seek to introduce a clause under the LEP 2010 preventing the consent authority from granting consent to non-agricultural land uses on “high-quality agricultural land”, unless it had considered certain matters demonstrating how this land would be protected.

With respect to solar farm development, such a clause could, as an example, require all solar farm developments, irrespective of their size, to address the NSW Government’s “Large-Scale Solar Energy Guideline” in the preparation of any application.

Although this would not prohibit the development of solar farms on “high-quality agricultural land”, it would allow all applications to be considered on overall merit, and if deemed appropriate, would permit the authority to grant consent.

Whilst this would not alter the current situation with regard to permissibility, the introduction of a mandatory LEP clause would add weight to the protection of agricultural land as a matter for consideration in the overall assessment process and would place increased onus on the proponent to thoroughly address the impacts of their development on agricultural land.

Despite SSD solar farm projects already being required to give consideration to the guideline, the introduction of the clause would also mandate this consideration upon all scales of solar farm development. This would improve consistency across the assessment of all solar farm development in the Wagga Wagga LGA, irrespective of the scale of the development or the consent authority responsible for the assessment. The adoption of the guideline would also be consistent with the position taken within the document that encourages applicants, councils and planning panels to consider the guideline when preparing, assessing and determining solar energy development applications for non-SSD development.

Whilst the guideline is intended for solar farm development, further investigation could also determine if the principles and processes contained in the guideline relating to the protection of agricultural land, could be applied to other non-agricultural related land uses that propose larger footprints over “high-quality agricultural land”. For small scale non-agricultural developments, a refined guideline could be established that would be more commensurate with the potential impacts of these types of development.

6.2.2 Introduction of Development Controls under a DCP

A further legal avenue available for consideration would be to incorporate development controls within the Wagga Wagga Development Control Plan 2010 (DCP 2010) with the objective of protecting “high-quality agricultural land”.

As stipulated under the EP&A Act, DCPs are required to facilitate development that is permissible with consent under an EPI. It is therefore not possible to use the DCP to impose prohibitive development controls. This would include applying controls that prohibit non-agricultural developments that would otherwise be permissible with consent under the LEP 2010 or a relevant SEPP.

A DCP can, however, include controls that will give effect to the aims of an EPI and the objectives of a particular zone under the EPI. For example, DCP controls could reflect and support the provisions of a conditional local provision clause under the LEP 2010, such as that discussed under Section 6.2.1 above. In this example, the DCP could add detail to the requirements and processes surrounding the application of the Large-Scale Solar Energy Guideline in the assessment of RSD and Local level solar farm proposals.

As the provisions of a DCP are not a statutory requirement, it is recommended that amendments to the DCP do not occur in isolation, without the supporting provisions under an EPI. The DCP isolation will not provide the statutory weight necessary to ensure that both the proponent and the consent authority give proper regard to the protection of “high-quality agricultural land”.

6.3 Council Notice of Motion part c(iii)

“That Council receives a report within two months that outlines the legal avenues available (if any) for Council to prioritise solar installations on rooftops, car parks, and marginal land, aligning with state renewable energy targets”

6.3.1 Rooftop and carpark solar arrays

As the primary subject of the NOM is the protection of “high-quality agricultural land”, it is assumed that this part of the NOM is seeking information on the opportunities for solar farm proponents to accommodate their developments on building rooftops or above carpark areas, instead of agricultural land.

Existing or proposed solar farm projects within the Wagga Wagga LGA (see information in Table 4 under Section 2.3 of this report) have production capacities ranging from 2MW through to 300+MW. To provide a sufficient number of panels to produce these outputs, the developments cover land areas ranging from 2 hectares to in excess of 1000 hectares. Given the electricity production and land area requirements, it would be unrealistic to expect that these developments could be accommodated on available building roof tops or above available carparking areas across the city.

6.3.2 Marginal Land

Marginal Land in NSW is not clearly defined however it is generally accepted that it is land having little or no agricultural or industrial value. It often has poor soil and other undesirable characteristic causing the land to be incapable of production or profit. Having regard to the LSC classification system discussed in Section 3.1 of this report, marginal land could be described as LSC classes 6 to 8 (see description in Table 5). These land classes have very high to severe limitations causing potential for severe land degradation and other negative impacts and are therefore unsuitable for all land uses except for those with very low impacts.

Having regard to these limitations, marginal land would likely be unsuitable for solar farm development and should not be prioritised. The establishment of solar arrays and the associated infrastructure would likely conflict with constraints present on the land including fragile soils, steeper slopes and important vegetation.

6.4 Advocacy for Legislative Change

Given the limitations outlined in Sections 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 regarding Council’s capacity to prohibit or restrict non-agricultural land uses under local planning instruments, Council could consider advocating for targeted amendments to relevant State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs).

Specifically, Council may advocate for changes to the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP 2021 and other relevant instruments to introduce provisions that either (a) explicitly limit the establishment of electricity generating works, including solar farms, on high-quality agricultural land classified as LSC Class 1 to 3 or Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL), or (b) empower local councils with discretionary exemption powers to assess and determine appropriateness of such developments based on local land capability and strategic agricultural values. Such legislative reform would provide a clearer statutory pathway for the protection of valuable agricultural resources while supporting a consistent, merit-based approach to renewable energy development in regional areas.

Financial Implications

As this report is submitted to Council for information only, there are no financial implications.

Policy and Legislation

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1974

State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021

State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021

State Environmental Planning Policy (Primary Production) 2021

Wagga Wagga Local Environmental Plan 2010

Wagga Wagga Development Control Plan 2010

Link to Strategic Plan

The Environment

Objective: Our natural areas are protected and enhanced

Preserve and improve our natural assets

Risk Management Issues for Council

As this report is submitted to Council for information only, there are no risk management issued for Council.

Internal / External Consultation

N/A

Attachments

1.	Large Scale Solar Energy Guideline - Provided under separate cover
2.	Large Scale Solar Energy Guideline - FAQ - Provided under separate cover

ID	Submitter	Submission Summary	Officers Response
FC-1	Craig Bromley	Suggests that any increase above CPI is required due to poor budget control, or unfunded improvements.	Some Airport costs increase at a rate higher than CPI. Until a decision on the Airport lease is determined, recent works undertaken at the Airport have been minor and required for the Airport to remain open and operational.
FC-2	Brendon Agpasa	Mentions passenger services charges and thresholds at other airports.	The passenger service charges and thresholds at the Wagga Airport are negotiated between the Wagga Airport and the Wagga airport passenger carriers.
FC-3	Geoff Breust – Wagga City Aero Club	Disagrees with the increases in private/recreational airport fees above inflation rate, but no increase in car parking rates. Disagrees with the Annual Landing Permit for Private Aircraft being restricted to resident aircraft hangered at the Wagga Airport.	Council’s proposed charge of $18.19 per tonne (general aviation aircraft generally weighing less than one tonne) compared to the proposed passenger charge for RPT aircraft at $18.36 per passenger. General Aviation are afforded unrestricted use of runways, taxiways, and their own aprons at $18.19 per tonne, whereas RPT will pay $18.36 per passenger to land. The Resident Private Aircraft – Annual Landing Permit is proposed to increase from $204.37 to $214.59 per tonne, a 5% increase. The landing charges fixed wing aircraft proposed to increase from $16.84 to $18.19 per tonne; landing charges rotary wing aircraft proposed to increase from $8.43 to $9.11 per tonne – an 8% increase. Some Airport costs increase at a rate higher than CPI, and it is due to this reason that some fees are increased at a rate higher than CPI, while others are not. It is also important to note that for the 2021/22 financial year, no increase to landing charges was applied, however CPI was 6.14%. It is proposed for the Airport carpark rates to remain the same as previous years. The overhead cost increases related to the carpark on a comparison percentage basis are far less than the overhead costs of operating the airport. Whilst there is no direct increase to the carpark rates, other rates have been increased - passengers experience increases with the passenger head tax charge, charged through the airlines. It is important to note that the adjacent valet service currently charge $8.50 per day, compared to the Airport carpark rate of $13.60 per day. The Annual Landing Permits for Private Aircraft are restricted to resident aircraft hangered at the Wagga Airport. All other aircraft that do not lease a hangar are to pay per landing. Having a hangar lease provides leaseholders with the ability to opt in to an annual landing charge rate. Those that do not have a hangar lease pay per landing. A review of other regional airport fees and charges have found similar fee structures: Albury – “annual permit for locally based operators”; Orange – “Local private aircraft”; Dubbo – “Local Wellington Aerodrome Tenant”.
FC-4	Geoff Breust	As above	As above
FC-5	Brayden Kettle – World Fuel Services (Australia) Ptu Ltd	Concerns with the landing fee increases above CPI, and the restriction on Annual Landing Permits to aircraft hangered in Wagga.	As above
FC-6	Bob Chalton	Requests the landing fee increases are reduced to a level commensurate with CPI, and for other Airport users to be charged to fund the shortfall. Requests reversal of the decision to restrict the Annual Landing Fees to resident aircraft.	As above
FC-7	Robert Davies	Disagrees with General Aviation fee increases above CPI. Suggests Council abandon charging landing fees to all general aviation aircraft. Recommends Council allow all aircraft the ability to participate in the annual landing permit, regardless if they have an aircraft hangered at the Wagga Airport (resident aircraft), as opposed to paying on a per land casual basis.	As above
FC-8	John Smith	Disagrees with General Aviation fee increases above CPI. Recommends Council allow all aircraft the ability to participate in the annual landing permit, regardless if they have an aircraft hangered at the Wagga Airport (resident aircraft), as opposed to paying on a per land casual basis.	As above
FC-9	Andrew Irvine	Notes that there is no consideration for a 50% discount on landing charges for non-resident private aircraft on weekends. Notes that there is no parking fees for aircraft, if there was, it is suggested that more of the dormant aircrafts would be moved on, making way for more visiting aircraft.	The airport fee structure does not allow for a 50% discount on landing charges for non-resident private aircraft on weekends. The costs of operating the airport do not decrease on a weekend (staff and contractor penalty rates increase on a weekend), therefore it is not appropriate for the fee to be discounted. Regarding the potential introduction of overnight parking fees for all aircraft (as is the case at most airports), this is currently in the process of being reviewed and will be discussed with Councillors during the 2025/26 financial year.

Report submitted to the Ordinary Meeting of Council on Monday 12 May 2025

RP-4

RP-4 INTEGRATED PLANNING AND REPORTING (IP&R) - DRAFT DOCUMENTS FOR EXHIBITION

Author: Bradley Ristivojevic

Executive: Scott Gray

Summary:

Attached for public exhibition are the draft Combined Delivery Program 2025/2029 and Operational Plan 2025/26, draft Fees and Charges 2025/26 and draft Long Term Financial Plan 2025/26.

Recommendation

That Council:

a place the following documents on public exhibition for 28 days commencing 13 May 2025 and concluding on 10 June 2025:

i draft Delivery Program 2025/2029 and Operational Plan 2025/26

ii draft Long Term Financial Plan 2025/26

iii draft Fees and Charges for the financial year 2025/26

b receive a further report after the public exhibition period:

i addressing any submissions made in respect of the draft documents

ii proposing adoption of the IP&R suite of documents

Report

Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework

The Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) framework helps Council discuss funding priorities and service levels with our community, including how these shape our local identity and how we can work together to create a more sustainable future.

The recently adopted Community Strategic Plan – Wagga Wagga 2050 (CSP) identifies the objectives that the community wants to head towards over the next ten+ years and also sets out the strategies on how to get there. The CSP sits at the highest level of Council’s planning hierarchy and guides all other Council strategies and plans.

Under NSW Government legislation, councils must also prepare plans and strategies detailing how they intend to deliver works and services in the short and long term. These plans are based on the community’s priorities and present a balanced approach to planning that considers how our resources can be used to deliver community outcomes identified in the CSP.

These plans and strategies are listed below and detailed in Image 1 - Integrated Planning & Reporting Framework:

· Delivery Program and Operational Plan

· Resourcing Strategy

o Long Term Financial Plan

o Asset Management Strategy and Asset Management Plans

o Workforce Resourcing Strategy

Image 1 – Integrated Planning & Reporting (IP&R) Framework

The delivery program and operational plan are developed with regard to the resources available to Council. These resources are addressed by the separate resourcing strategies, the Workforce Resourcing Strategy, Asset Management Strategy and Plans and Long-Term Financial Plan.

The Workforce Resourcing Strategy and Asset Management Strategy and Plans do not require public exhibition and will be reported to the 23 June 2025 meeting of Council for adoption.

1. Combined Delivery Program 2025/2029 Operational Plan 2025/26

The Combined Delivery Program and Operational Plan (DPOP) has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of the NSW Office of Local Government’s (OLG) Integrated Planning and Reporting Guidelines and the good, better, best criteria contained in OLG’s Integrated Planning and Reporting Handbook. The structure and content has been revised to increase the level of transparency and accountability of Council’s service delivery and performance.

· Transparency is increased by providing a comprehensive overview of Council’s workplan for the four-years of the Delivery Program and details of the services delivered by Council in the Operational Plan.

· Accountability is improved through the inclusion of measures for both the principal activities of the Delivery Program and service outputs in the Operational Plan.

Section one of the DPOP provides an introduction for the community to the report, our community and Council to assist reading sections two and three. This includes an overview of Council priorities.

Section two (Delivery Program) provides a primary reference point for all of Council’s activities over the next four years. It picks up the strategies of the CSP and then links them to the principal activities Council will undertake for the four-year period of the Delivery Program. These activities guide the operational actions that will be undertaken by Council each financial year to bring us closer to our shared community vision and goals as identified in the CSP. Each principal activity includes a delivery measure and target to determine the effectiveness of the activity in achieving the objectives of the CSP.

To achieve the principal activities, Council requires a range of supporting and informing plans and strategies and processes for project governance, risk management and service improvement. The Delivery Program includes details of these plans and strategies to support a broader understanding of Council’s processes and how performance is reported and improved.

Section three (Operational Plan) provides information on our annual budget and detailed service statements for each of Council’s Service Areas. Service statements describe the service being delivered and outline the key actions (services delivered, capital projects, operational projects, plans and strategies) that Council will undertake each financial year that contribute to achieving the commitments of the Delivery Program and CSP. Service statements also include the income, operational and capital expenditure budget for the financial year. These details have been reported by Service Area to improve the relevance of this document to the Community.

Performance against the identified delivery measures and service output measures will be included in Council’s six-monthly operational performance reporting and annual reports.

2. Long Term Financial Plan

The Long Term Financial Plan (LTFP) is an essential element of the resourcing strategy which recognises Council’s current and future financial capacity to continue delivering services, facilities and infrastructure to the community as part of the objectives and commitments outlined in the Delivery Program and Operational Plan while undertaking the initiatives and projects that will contribute towards the strategic aspirations in the Community Strategic Plan.

Council’s LTFP is a ten-year financial planning document with an emphasis on long-term financial sustainability. Financial sustainability is one of the key issues facing local government due to several contributing factors including growing demands for community services and facilities and their ongoing operational costs, constrained revenue growth and ageing infrastructure.

The LTFP is formulated using a number of estimates and assumptions, to project the future revenue and expenditure required of Council to deliver those services, projects and programs expected by the community for the next ten years. In doing so, it addresses the issues that impact on Council’s ability to fund its services and capital works whilst remaining financially sustainable.

As part of the LTFP review process, a financial scenario has been included to address the ongoing infrastructure maintenance and renewal shortfall as identified in Council’s Asset Management Plans across all asset categories, with part-funding to be investigated from a proposed future Special Rate Variation.

Capital Projects

Capital works projects and programs account for over $113.2M of the planned activities for the 2025/26 financial year. There are two different categories of capital works; One-off ($87.1M) and Recurrent ($26.1M).

One-off Capital projects refer to the new one-off projects Council will undertake during the year. Recurrent capital projects refer to the expenditure allocated on an annual basis for capital works programs.

Below is just a sample of some of the more significant capital works projects over $1M (excluding roads) identified for the 2025/26 financial year only:

One-Off Capital Projects	2025/26 Budget
GWMC – Construction of new Waste Cell	$2,963,264
GWMC – Construction of a new Monocell	$1,318,888
GWMC – Plant Shed	$2,253,105
Lake Albert Pipeline	$4,269,087
LMC – Hardstand	$2,250,000
LMC – New Circulating Road (partial)	$2,036,693
Oasis – Energy Efficiency Upgrades	$3,025,000
Sewer – Northern Growth Area Sewer Upgrades	$10,682,244

Roads Funding

The Capital Works Program within the LTFP includes budget amounts for one-off and recurrent Roads funding across the 10 years. For the 2025/26 financial year, there is a total allocation of $53.9M for roads, which includes one-off projects of ($40.4M) and recurrent programs of ($13.5M). The one-off roads projects and recurrent roads program budgets allocated for 2025/26 are shown below:

One-Off Roads Projects	2025/26 Budget
Boorooma Street Upgrade	$200,000
Estella Road Upgrade	$70,000
Gregadoo Road Corridor Works	$2,191,680
Mates Gully Road Upgrade	$3,684,000
Pine Gully Road Corridor Works	$647,585
Red-Hill Road/Dalman Parkway Intersection Treatment	$137,457
Regional Roads Repair Block Grant	$350,000
Southern Growth Area – Plumpton Road North	$16,600,244
Southern Growth Area – Plumpton Road South	$16,446,855

Recurrent Roads Programs	2025/26 Budget
Gravel Resheets	$2,067,981
Heavy Patching Program	$1,130,289
Pavement Rehabilitation Program	$6,426,104
Regional Roads Supplementary Block Grant	$199,000
Reseal Program (Renewal)	$2,835,510
Urban Asphalt Program	$1,040,041

3. Fees and Charges

In accordance with Section 608 of the Local Government Act 1993, a council may charge and recover an approved fee for any service it provides.

The services for which an approved fee may be charged include the following provided under the Local Government Act or any other Act or the regulations, by the council:

· supplying a service, product or commodity

· giving information

· providing a service in connection with the exercise of the council’s regulatory functions-including receiving an application for approval, granting an approval, making an inspection and issuing a certificate

· allowing admission to any building or enclosure.

Development Application Fees and Charges

Each year the NSW Department of Planning and Environment advise those fees contained within Schedule 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021 that require updating in line with CPI increases as at 31 March each year. Due to the timing of this data release, these Development Application fees for 2025/26 will be updated during the public exhibition period and any changes outlined in the final adoption report.

Financial Implications

The proposed adoption of the suite of Integrated Planning and reporting documents will be reported to Council on 23 June 2025 after the review and response to all submissions received. The adoption of these documents will form Council’s commitment to deliver activities and actions detailed in DPOP and LTFP. The financial implications of this expenditure are forecasted in the LTFP and detailed in the annual service area budgets contained within the DPOP.

Policy and Legislation

The documents have been created to meet Council’s Integrated Planning and Reporting requirements under the Local Government Act 1993 and Local Government Regulations 2021.

Link to Strategic Plan

Regional Leadership

Good governance - Sound governance to support efficient service delivery and minimisation of risks.

Provide professional, innovative, accessible and efficient services.

Risk Management Issues for Council

The DPOP is the primary reference point for all of Council’s activities to deliver on the objectives and strategies of the Community Strategic Plan. A failure to identify appropriate and relevant actions in the DPOP presents a risk that the objectives of the CSP will not be achieved, negatively impacting Council’s reputation. This risk is mitigated through the internal consultation process to develop the DPOP and through the engagement plan for consultation during the public exhibition period for the report.

The LTFP, Workforce Resourcing Strategy, and Asset Management Plans are responsible for ensuring Council has the required resources to deliver the activities and actions of the DPOP. Delivery risk exists if these plans are not sufficiently integrated.

The DPOP provides a greater level of information to the community on Council’s services and deliverables. Increased transparency is intended to improve community awareness of Council resources and priorities. There is a reputation risk if Council are unable to deliver on the identified activities and actions.

Financial sustainability is one of the key issues facing local government, due to several contributing factors, including growing demands for community services and facilities and their ongoing operational costs, constrained revenue growth and ageing infrastructure.

The LTFP is formulated using a number of estimates and assumptions, to project the future revenue and expenditure required of Council to deliver those services, projects and programs expected by the community for the next ten years. If these estimates and assumptions are incorrect, Council’s ability to deliver identified activities, actions and projects may be affected and require a revision to the LTFP and/or the DPOP.

The purpose of the LTFP is to ensure that Council is a financially viable, adequately funded, and sustainable organisation to meet community expectations of service levels. Council plans to maintain its financial position and performance, to ensure resilience and a capacity to adapt and respond to arising community needs in a measured and equitable manner through financial modelling and funding scenarios.

Internal / External Consultation

Extensive external consultation was completed for the development of the CSP. The DPOP has utilised feedback received during the development of the CSP.

Internal consultation was undertaken with relevant service areas to prepare the draft documents for exhibition. This has included the service planning process, capital expenditure proposals, budget reviews and further review service plans to develop service statements.

An Executive briefing for the DPOP was held on 1 April 2025.

Councillor workshops/discussions were held for the LTFP with the following in attendance:

9 December 2024 – Capital Works Program Reset - Budget Workshop

Present: Mayor Councillor D Tout, Councillor R Foley, Councillor G Davies, Councillor A Condron, Councillor J McKinnon, Councillor A Parkins, Councillor K Subedi, Councillor L Tanner

17 February 2025 – Councillor Budget Workshop

Present: Mayor Councillor D Tout, Councillor R Foley, Councillor G Davies, Councillor A Condron, Councillor T Koschel, Councillor J McKinnon, Councillor A Parkins, Councillor K Subedi, Councillor L Tanner

17 March 2025 – Councillor Budget Workshop

Present: Mayor Councillor D Tout, Councillor R Foley, Councillor G Davies, Councillor A Condron, Councillor T Koschel, Councillor J McKinnon, Councillor A Parkins, Councillor L Tanner

The documents will be placed on public exhibition for a 28-day period commencing from 13 May 2025 and concluding on 10 June 2025. As part of the exhibition period a variety of communication methods will be used, to inform and consult with the community on these documents.

Mail

Traditional Media

Community Engagement

Digital

Rates notices insert

Direct mail

Letterbox drop

Council news

Media release

Media opportunity

TV/radio advertising

One-on-one meeting(s)

Community meeting(s)

Stakeholder workshop(s)

Drop-in session(s)

Survey/feedback form(s)

Connect.Wagga

Email newsletter

Social media

Website

Inform

Consult

Involve

Collaborate

Attachments

1.	Draft Delivery Program 2025/2029 and Operational Plan 2025/26 - Provided under separate cover
2.	Draft Long Term Financial Plan 2025/26 - Provided under separate cover
3.	Draft Fees and Charges 2025/26 - Provided under separate cover

1 ⇩.	Airport Fees and Charges
2 ⇩.	Airport Fees & Charges - 9 Submissions
3 ⇩.	REX Feedback Received