Strong and engaged communities

Strategic objectives

• Our community has a say in matters of interest to them in achieving Boroondara’s vision.
• Community needs are identified and responses planned accordingly.
• Opportunities are provided to enable people in our community to be supported and involved.

Key figures

• $21.9 million net operating cost
• 87 groups received Council community grants
• 2.3 million library items borrowed

Achievements

Boroondara Community Plan

The Boroondara Community Plan 2017-27 sets the long-term strategic directions for Council and informs the Council Plan, including the Strategic Resource Plan, annual commitments and strategic indicators, the Municipal Strategic Statement, and Council strategies, plans, policies and actions.

The Boroondara Community Plan was adopted by Council on 11 December 2017 and officially launched to the community on Sunday 4 March 2018 at the Boroondara Village Festival. In 2017-18 Council produced the revised 2018-19 Budget and revised Council Plan 2017-21, aligning these to the structure of the Boroondara Community Plan. Refer page 18 for further information on the Boroondara Community Plan 2017-27. 

Access to Civic Art Collection

Opportunities to enhance access to the Town Hall Gallery Collection by the community have continued throughout the year. The renewed information architecture of the Boroondara Arts website has improved visibility and access to the Collection information.

This project resulted from benchmarking of museum and art collection databases, and provides for an enriched customer experience as well as strong governance of Council's art collection. The Town Hall Gallery presented 19 exhibitions during the year attracting more than 7,000 visitors.

Summary of other achievements 

• Continued to work with residents and community groups on several advocacy campaigns during the year, including the North East Link, the Markham Estate redevelopment in Ashburton and the Bill Street public housing redevelopment in Hawthorn.
• Officially opened the Hawthorn University of the Third Age (Hawthorn U3A), delivering a multipurpose facility dedicated to the ethos of lifelong learning.
• Hosted a community safety forum in October 2017 to celebrate Community Safety month.
• Held the Inaugural Dance Affair: a cultural development project which engaged eight community organisations.

Challenges

• Responding to the Australian Government Aged Care and Disability Services Reforms. Council officers continue to monitor and respond to the changes being introduced by the Australian Government in the Aged Care and Disability Services sector.
• The evolving Australian retail environment, particularly with regard to the growth of the online retail sector continues to place significant pressure on Boroondara’s shopping centres. 

Sustainable environment

Strategic objective

• Our natural and urban environment is improved in a sustainable way.

Key figures

• $30.7 million net operating cost  
• 82,574 indigenous trees, shrubs, grasses and groundcovers planted during the year
• 69,559 tonnes of waste collected from kerbside bins

Achievements

Waste Minimisation and Recycling Strategy

Council developed and adopted the Waste Minimisation and Recycling Strategy 2017 to provide the strategic direction and an implementation approach for sustainable waste management over the next five years.

The vision defining the strategy is to continue to provide more efficient and effective waste services and further reduce waste sent to landfill. The primary action for the strategy is to divert food waste from the landfill waste stream to the green organics waste processing stream. 

Community garden in Kew 

Design has been completed for a communal food growing and sharing hub for local residents on land adjacent to Earl Street, Kew. Urban agriculture facilitators and a working group of passionate local residents have collaborated with Council to develop the vision and objectives for the community garden.

The project aims to create an inclusive and nurturing space, committed to the principles of sustainability around growing and sharing food. Construction of the community garden is scheduled to occur during the 2018-19 financial year.

Summary of other achievements 

• Developed and adopted the Tree Strategy 2017.
• Reviewed the Tree Management Guidelines.
• Completed approximately $1.1 million in energy efficiency upgrades.
• Reviewed Council’s renewal practices for Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) treatments in open spaces.

Challenges 

• As our City's population grows we have experienced increased pressure for quality public open spaces that meet a wide range of community needs. It has been an ongoing challenge to creatively redesign spaces such as parks and streetscapes to meet these needs without compromising existing community values.

Enhanced amenity

Strategic objective

• Facilitate the process of urban renewal throughout the City to enhance amenity by efficient and effective permit issuing administration.
   

Key figures

• ($1.7) million net operating cost  
• 1,421 new planning applications received

Achievements

Municipal Wide Heritage Gap Study 

Council has continued the assessment of all properties across the municipality to identify and protect valued heritage places of local significance through the introduction of heritage controls.

The study is underway with the Canterbury Heritage Gap Study Panel hearing conducted, the Camberwell Heritage Gap Study Panel appointed, the Kew East Heritage Gap Assessment preliminary consultation completed and the Balwyn Heritage Peer Review Panel appointed.

Paperless Office Project

Council has continued progress on the Paperless Office Project during 2017-18. The Paperless Office project will enable Statutory Planning to receive and assess all planning applications digitally by the end of the 2018-19 financial year.

The project involves removing paper from all application, enforcement and appeal services provided by Council. The planning enquiry and Tree Local Law application processes have now been made fully digital. Bluebeam Revu software was introduced in May 2018, enabling officers to assess and endorse plans electronically. 

Summary of other achievements 

• Developed a building inspection and communication strategy for Rooming House Operators.
• Developed and adopted the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2017-21.
• Completed a study of the changes to tree canopy cover over time for the municipality.

Challenges 

• An increase in major construction developments in most cases simultaneously, within the municipality has meant a greater focus was required in ensuring developers manage their construction to minimise the impacts to the community.
   

Quality facilities and assets

Strategic objective

• The community's current and future needs for assets and facilities are proactively managed. 
   

Key figures

• $19.7 million net operating cost  
• 2.57 million visits to Boroondara's leisure and aquatic centres
• 563 kilometres of local roads

Achievements 

Balwyn Library Redevelopment

The redevelopment of the Balwyn Library is complete and was officially opened to the community on Wednesday 4 April 2018. 

The striking building has received upgrade works including additional casual reading and study areas, a large community meeting room, an improved layout allowing better access to the collection, and better technology. Other improvements to the library include increased natural light, more comfortable furniture and a separate quiet study area. 

The redevelopment brings new life to this popular community hub where people have been meeting, reading and studying since 1978.

Greythorn Community Hub (formerly the North East Community Hub)

The North East Community Hub Redevelopment was completed and is set to be formally opened as the Greythorn Community Hub. The new $17.2 million Greythorn Community Hub reached practical completion in June 2018. The project offers a range of much-needed community services and programs in this part of Boroondara. The Australian Government has provided a $3.2 million grant towards the project construction and the North Balwyn Returned Services League (RSL) has provided the land to Council on a long-term lease. 

The facility was formally opened on Saturday 1 September 2018. The Hub will have a range of features including Trentwood at the Hub (a neighbourhood house); Greythorn Library Lounge; Greythorn Maternal and Child Health (MCH) centre; Greythorn Early Childhood Centre; the North Balwyn RSL Sub-Branch; and access to community support and wellbeing services. 

Summary of other achievements 

• Completed the upgrade to asset management systems (Conquest III and Conquest Mobile), providing multiple functionality improvements to improve efficiency and data quality, removing inefficient workarounds, and enabling future efficiency improvements to works management processes.
• Replaced playgrounds at Foley Reserve Hawthorn, Hull Street Hawthorn, King Street Chain Balwyn North, Warburton Reserve Camberwell, Warner Reserve Ashburton and Willison Reserve Camberwell, as part of the Playground Replacement Program.
• Completed the design for the redevelopment of the Balwyn Community Centre.
• Completed the shopping centre improvement works at Peate Avenue Camberwell, Church Street Hawthorn, Glenferrie Hill Hawthorn and Fordham Avenue Camberwell.

Challenges 

• Recognising and responding to the changing role of shopping centres as not only places to shop but also as community meeting places and work spaces which are integral to sustaining neighbourhood life.
• Council delivers a significant number of projects per annum and invariably some projects incur contract disputes, unforeseen variations, and adverse weather and design/planning delays.

Strategic objectives

• Decision-making in the delivery of high quality services by capable and professional people reflects transparent, accountable and fair practices.
• Sound financial and risk management practices are carried out.

Achievements

Key figures

• $25.3 million net operating cost  

• 153,080 phone calls and 115,835 online requests 
• 77,200 rateable properties
   

Website improvements

A number of improvements have been made to ensure continued provision of the Boroondara website in a manner that is accessible and customer focused. These include the achievement of accessibility certification from Vision Australia, confirming compliance with global standard WCAG 2.0 level AA and development of 16 planning and building content guides to support customers to navigate the complex building and planning regulations.
 
The centralisation of our website introduced tighter governance and quality control over published content. An audit of 125 of the most visited pages on the website since its launch in May 2017 achieved an average quality score of 94 per cent. During the year, customers completed over 30,000 eForms. Ninety three percent of customers who left feedback on eForms rated them as ‘Very easy’ or ‘Easy’ to use.

Advocacy

Council continued to work with residents and community groups on several advocacy campaigns during the year, including the North East Link, the Markham Estate redevelopment in Ashburton and the Bill Street public housing redevelopment in Hawthorn.

Summary of other achievements 

• Implemented new software (Doc Assembler) for the generation of Council and Committee business papers.
• Compiled the Council response to the Local Government Exposure Draft Bill to inform the final draft legislation before the Government reviews it to present to the Victorian Parliament.
• Extended the funding agreement for Camcare to continue providing community services to Boroondara residents in need of support.
• Developed and adopted the Budget 2018-19 document in accordance with the Victorian Local Government Model Budget and aligned its structure to the Boroondara Community Plan 2017-27.
• Implemented Single Touch payroll systems in compliance with the Australian Tax Office (ATO).
• Enabled online accessibility of the nomination form for Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year, to make the nomination process more convenient for the community.

Challenges 

• The transition to a paperless office has required the building of hybrid systems, adding to time frames as officers have had to develop and learn these temporary processes.
   

Financial expenditure

During 2017-18, Council delivered the following services for every $100 that they spent:

Note: Includes an allocation of corporate services, governance, risk management, building maintenance and public lighting across these service areas. Excludes operating expenditure for five externally managed recreation centres.