Projects and Professional Officers' Groups
NSROC manages a wide variety of projects and issues on behalf of the region. Major projects and issues are managed by specific committees or professional officers' groups (POGs). Some groups meeting on a regular basis to achieve outcomes, develop strategies and policies, and exchange information. Other groups are established on an “as needs” basis for specific projects or issues.
The current groups within the NSROC umbrella include: Waste, Environment and Sustainability, Planning, Supply, Human Resources, Finance, Community Services, Sport, Transport, and Integrated Planning and Governance.
Effective waste management is a crucial responsibility of councils in the NSROC region. Collectively, the NSROC councils generate over 102,000 tonnes of putrescible waste and 80,000 tonnes of green waste.
The Northern Sydney Waste Management Professional Officers Group includes council waste managers and officers from throughout the northern Sydney region, which meet monthly to exchange information on waste issues, develop policy and guidelines to improving waste management. The Chair of the group is Steve Fedorow Lane Cove Council who can be contacted at SFedorow@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
Environment and Sunstainability
Environment and sustainability issues are extremely important in the NSROC region, as pressure on natural resources intensifies and the population of the NSROC community continues to expand. At present, the NSROC councils are addressing environmental and sustainability issues in a number of different ways.
Since 2005 all of the NSROC councils jointly produced an annual regional State of the Environment Report. This document identifies environmental issues and reports on environmental outcomes from a regional perspective, allowing for a more consistent approach that recognises many environmental concerns do not correspond with individual council boundaries.
The NSROC Environment and Sustainability Group represents managers and officers involved in council environment and sustainability issues. Various sub-groups operate on an ad hoc basis on particular issues such as catchment management, sustainability education and bushcare. The Group is currently chaired by Carolynne James, who can be contacted at cjames@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
Planning in the NSROC region has assumed great importance as a result of the recent real estate boom and as the rapidly growing population seeks to manage development within their communities. The State Government has embarked on a substantial process of planning reform as well as the creation of a Metropolitan Plan for Sydney, to guide the city’s growth and development over the next 30 years.
The Northern Planners Professional Officers Group is made up of senior planning staff from the northern region of Sydney, which meets monthly to exchange technical planning information, review new planning policies and prepare submission on planning reforms. The Chair of the Northern Planners POG is Steven Kourepis who can be contacted at demanager@huntershill.nsw.gov.au
A variety of transport modes are used in the NSROC region including ferries, trains, taxis, buses and cars, as well as non-motorised forms of transport such as walking and cycling. In many parts of the region, traffic congestion is becoming an increasing problem along with associated environmental problems. Much of the existing transport infrastructure is ageing and operating at near capacity.
In order to better deal with transport issues and effectively lobby state government for change, the NSROC Transport Group operates on an ad hoc basis to identify innovative solutions to community transport needs, and to participate in the transport reform process initiated by State Government. The group can be contacted at cjames@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
The Supply Management Group examines possible joint procurement for NSROC Councils. Since its establishment the Group has negotiated pricing for the region through any commodities, such as asphalt, stationery etc and continue to provide their member Councils with considerable savings.
The Supply Management Group meets monthly to review agreements in place and consider future initiatives. The Chair of the Group is Mr John Schanz, Ryde Council, contact email: jschanz@ryde.nsw.gov.au
Council’s staff is the most valuable resource any council has. Each of the NSROC councils is committed to providing a professional and efficient service through its staff, and this requires ongoing training, resourcing and supervision.
This HR Managers Professional Officers Group meets on an irregular basis to address Human Resource issues. The current contact for this group is Carolynne James who can be contacted at cjames@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
In recognition of common financial management issues, NSROC hosts regular meetings of the Northern LGMA Finance Professionals Group. This Group meets quarterly. The key contact is Tino Caltabiano - tcaltabiano@kmc.nsw.gov.au
Each Council has a community services division providing key human services to their residents. The Community Services Officers Group has regular meetings to share information and develop joint initiatives where appropriate. The contact officer for this group is Eric Poulos - epoulos@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
Open space and sports facility management are common issues for NSROC councils given the movement of sporting groups activities within the region. The Sports Officers Group meets on an irregular basis to look at coordination and sports management issues. . The current contact for this group is Carolynne James cjames@lanecove.nsw.gov.au
In 2009 the Department of Local Government release new statutory requirements for integrated planning and reporting. This includes a restructuring of councils reporting frameworks and processes from community strategies, asset planning and Resourcing. Each NSROC council is required to comply with these new systems by 2012.
A NSROC Integrated Planners Group has been established to enable NSROC Councils to share information and develop some common structures to enable a regional perspective on reporting to be developed. The group can be contacted at cjames@lanecove.nsw.gov.au