Minutes of the Rural
Fire Service Strategic Planning Committee
Meeting Date: Thursday, 6 December
2018
Location: Council
Chambers, City Administrative Centre, Bridge Road, Nowra
Time: 5.30pm
The following members were present:
Clr Mitchell Pakes - Chairperson
Clr Mark Kitchener
Mr Mark Williams
Mr Chris Palmer
Ms Jennifer Lawther
Mr Andrew Fielding
Mr Bill Bean
Mr Paul Keech - Director Assets and Works
Others present:
Tom Dimec – Shoalhaven City Council
Lynda Ho – Shoalhaven City Council
Apologies were
received from Messrs Martin Gaffey, Paul Gleeson, Geoff Phillips, Vic Walker,
and Ms Megan Birmingham. The Director, Assets & Work, would be late
as he was attending a Councillor Briefing.
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Confirmation of the
Minutes
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RESOLVED (Jennifer Lawther / Mark Williams)
That the
Minutes of the Rural Fire Service Strategic Planning Committee held on
Thursday 4 October 2018 be confirmed.
CARRIED
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Nil or
Reports
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RF18.30 Rural
Fire Service - Future Works
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HPERM Ref:
D18/407677
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The Chair reminded attendees that
the Shoalhaven District Liaison Committee meetings would precede Rural Fire
Service Strategic Planning Committee meetings, going foreward. The
Strategic Planning Committee would focus on strategic and future projects.
In response to
a query, the District Superintendant confirmed that : (i) the amalgamated
brigades from Bendalong and Cunjurong Point were now known as Manyana brigade
and, in the long term, the Conjurong Point station facilities would be
upgraded as funding became available, and (ii) the old Bendalong station
would be refurbished with a category 1 shed and a toilet facility only.
The Committee
agreed to amend the capital works proirities as listed to include Tomerong
Station, at the top of the 8 items for the district. The Committee
undertook to continue to review the list of capital works priorities to
ensure they reflected the community’s needs and amended the
recommendation accordingly.
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Recommendation (Item to
be determined under delegated authority)
That the Rural
Fire Service Strategic Planning Committee note the update on the status of
unfunded capital works projects.
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RESOLVED (Andrew Fielding / Chris Palmer)
That the Rural
Fire Service Strategic Planning Committee note the update on the status of
unfunded capital works projects and supports the current priority list as
amended.
CARRIED
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General Business
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RF18.31 Code
of Conduct
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HPERM Ref:
D18/405358
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There were
no matters raised.
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RF18.32 Work
Health and Safety
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HPERM Ref:
D18/407236
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The
Committee agreed to write to John Shadlow to congratulate him on his election
as Shoalhaven Health & Safe Work Representative.
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RF18.33 Manildra
Train
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HPERM Ref:
D18/418804
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The Chair referred the Committee to the update on
the traffic flow interruptions on Bolong Road resulting from movement of the
Manildra train.
The Committee:
queried the assertion by Manildra that delays were typically of 8 minutes
duration; considered the traffic interruptions to impact most on ambulance
response times; received Manildra’s assurance that trains could readily
be de-coupled to allow the passage of emergency vehicles once the siren was
heard by Manildra staff.
Manildra had
submitted a Development Application to carry out works including a new spur
line on the northern side of Bolong Road and a packing plant. These
works were expected to lessen interruptions to motorists by movements of the
Manildra train.
The Director
Assets & Works had also invited Manildra’s site manager, Ming
Leung, to speak to the Local Emergency Management Committee on the matter
where the discussion could be broadened to other emergency services and
recorded. It was
RESOLVED (Mark
Williams / Bill Bean)
That the Rural
Fire Service Strategic Planning Committee note the update on the Manildra
train movements on Bolong Road.
CARRIED
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RF18.34 Emergency
Services Vehicles access and Egress During Tourism Peaks and Events
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HPERM Ref:
D18/418807
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The Director advised, the matter of emergency
services vehicle access and egress during tourism peaks and events was raised
at the Local Emergency Management Committee and an undertaking made that
Council would review its policy. Events on private land were already
covered robustly through the development application process. Events on
public land were covered by Tourism, and will be covered more robustly going
forward. In the future, emergency services agencies will have the
ability to build the necessary conditions into events. The District
Supervisor noted his preference for emergency services conditions to be
brought back to Council for referral to the event organiser.
Hyams
Beach: A Public Meeting would be held on Saturday 8 December 2018
to consider the management of the tourism impact to Hyams Beach in the coming
months. On days anticipating high visitor numbers, a traffic controller
would control the number of vehicles entering Hyams Beach and not allow in
more cars than there are available parking spots.
RESOLVED (Chris
Palmer / Andrew Fielding)
That the Rural Fire Service
Strategic Planning Committee note the update on Emergency Services Vehicles Access
and Egress During Tourism Peaks and Events.
CARRIED
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RF18.35 Additional
Item - Proposed Meeting Dates - 2019
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Action: The Committee Support
Officer undertook to liaise with Committee members to find a more suitable
date for a February 2019 meeting.
The Committee supported the other
proposed meeting dates and it was,
RESOLVED (Chris Palmer
/ Jennifer Lawther)
That the Committee adopt the
proposed meeting dates for 2019, as follows:
5:30pm
– Thursday 9 May 2019;
5:30pm
– Thursday 8 August 2019, and
5:30pm – Thursday 14
November 2019.
CARRIED
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RF18.36 Additional
Item - Comerong Island Ferry
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In
brief discussion, the District Superintendent confirmed: (i) the RFS has an
obligation to an area where there are residents, hence the RFS has an
obligation to residents on Comerong Island; and (ii) there needed to be an
analysis done of the benefits of retaining a fire truck on Comerong Island
versus the cost of buying a large enough ferry to carry a 13 tonne fire truck
in the event of a fire.
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RF18.37 Additional
Item - Appointment - Paul Liddiard
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The
District Superintendent advised that Mr Paul Liddiard had been appointed on 3
month’s secondment to fill Paul Gooey’s position.
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There being no further business, the meeting concluded, the
time being 6.50pm.
Clr
Mitchell Pakes
CHAIRPERSON