The document provides updates from various departments within the organization for the month of November 2019. Key points include: 1) Departments established teams to improve asset management, recreation planning and capital works coordination. Business improvements aimed to increase efficiencies. 2) Projects progressed including construction of community facilities and transport upgrades. Planning advanced on marketing, events and service initiatives. 3) Departments clarified roles and teams, improved technologies and business processes, and pursued partnership and sponsorship opportunities. 4) Recruitment efforts continued and departments explored self-improvement initiatives and better integration across teams.

1. November 2019

2. Asset Management
1. Establish the capital works management team to provide a
cross organisational view of the pipeline of al capital
works.
2. Improve knowledge and awareness across the organisation
regarding the purpose and importance of asset
management functions.
3. Establish the Recreation Land Planning team within Asset
Management to combine all asset strategic planning
functions under one department.
1. Continue to review and undertake business improvement
initiatives to improve efficiencies & effectiveness.
2. Be champions for asset management, to leverage the
potential from other teams/ areas to contribute to asset
management.
3. Develop strong role clarity across all teams, with focus on
functional priorities.
1. Winner of the NSW IPWEA awards for Design &
Construction of a Local Government Public Works
Project (over $5m) for Pasterfield Sports Complex.
2. Developed customer fact sheets on common requests
for transport improvements including bus stop
facilities, walking and cycling, and parking restrictions.
3. Entered forward works program into Sycle, including
completion of new budget forecasts for current
projects.
4. Completed construction of: Beach Road Redhead
pedestrian improvements, Toronto Swim Centre
upgrades and the pontoon jetty at Rathmines Park.
1. Continue with the BaNA review of administrative
functions to explore and identify potential
improvements across the cluster.
2. Continue gap analysis of resourcing needs across all
teams and identify opportunities to address these.
3. Continue to work on alignment of functions within
Community Assets.
4. Continue with Infrastructure Asset revaluation.

3. Leisure Services
1. Clarifying team structure, individual position statements,
responsibilities and delegations
2. Explore sponsorship opportunities
3. Maintain/continually improve existing culture to ensure
teamwork is maintained and collaboration between teams
continues
1. Partner with key departments to capitalise on
promotional and marketing opportunities
2. Continue to review and undertake business improvement
initiatives to improve efficiencies & effectiveness
3. Explore opportunities for our teams to be part of
Business Improvement initiatives
1. Completion of the Swim Centre shade infrastructure
project
2. Development of a draft Communication, Promotion
and Engagement Plan for the Lake Mac Swim Centre’s
and Professional Beach Lifeguard Service
3. Go-live with Swim Centre portal
4. Installation of CCTV infrastructure supporting the Smart
Beaches project
1. Reviewing recruitment strategy for Casual and
temporary positions within the Swim Centres
2. Development of five-year Marketing Plan for the Lake
Mac Swim Centres and Beach Ocean Lifeguard Service
3. Promotion of key water safety messages as we
approach the peak swimming period
4. Finalisation of the “Beaches” service now portal

4. Waste Services
1. Team workshops, confirming vision, priorities, objectives and
measures
2. Clarifying team structure, individual roles and responsibilities,
address gaps, update position statements and delegations
3. Build a structure that allows improved resource recovery
through collection streams
4. Align operational and strategic initiatives
5. Progression and development for the expansion of the Awaba
Waste Management Facility
1. Redefining Waste Services
2. Investigating and implementing improved technology to aid in
waste collection and service improvement
3. Have strategic waste ideology influence operational waste
collection
4. Improve the quality of Waste Management plans for all
developments
5. Focus attention to enhance the parks and commercial
collection services
6. Business Improvement initiatives to improve customer
awareness & communication, review of applications & policing
for specific service types
1. Cross-skill operational and strategic waste administration
functions
2. Continuation of recent waste service restructure resulted in
successful candidates selected for Business Management
Coordinator and Contract Coordinator roles.
3. Community Compost giveaway at Awaba
4. Planning the Summer Waste Campaign
1. The Waste Service restructure – Contract Co-ordinator
joining the team and Business Managemnt Coordinator
commenced
2. Health check of what we do. Process map core functions
and look to streamline or improve how new team deliver
best service
3. Focus on our parks and commercial services to improve
service efficiencies and customer experience
4. Summer waste management commencement

5. Community Partnerships
1. Clarifying the understanding of why our teams are doing what
they’re doing and embedding transformational thinking
2. Continuing team workshops with the objective of:
a) Building on the team vision: “We believe in a
community and environment that thrive together”
b) Developing team culture
c) Team building exercises along the way
3. Identifying opportunities and developing a structure which is
agile enough to take advantage of those opportunities
4. Pinpointing continuous improvement ‘quick wins’ out of the
new structure, and also longer-term BI projects to work on
1. Volunteering across the organisation. What do we do now?
What are the inhibitors? What are new opportunities?
2. Utilising technology in messaging (podcasts, digital storytelling)
– using these tools across the business
3. Embedding sustainability principles across COPA teams
4. Explore existing ‘partnerships’ with the community and
consider new ways to deliver services through different
partnership models
5. Explore development of a broader community engagement
experience for customers through partnerships across teams
within Community Partnerships
1. Community Family Picnic for Me2 Program, Mental
Health Month, Children’s Week and FDC’s 40th Birthday
– Tuesday 22 Oct at Speers Point Park
2. School Environment Awards at Council Chambers – 23
Oct
3. Pingala / Allambi Care community renewable energy
project finalised (60kW solar panels installed, 91
investors paid up) – celebration held 27 Oct
4. Podcast developed for FDC Educators around
supporting mental health and wellbeing in children
5. Launched the mobi-chair at Belmont Baths
6. Commenced partnership with UoN (Psychology)
1. Transitioning various paper-based processes to
‘Service Now’ platform (FDC forms, Landcare resource
management)
2. Commencing summer waste education campaign
3. Exploring opportunities through partnerships (UoN
Psych, Corrective Services)
4. Continuing to transition processes to ‘Service Now’
where possible
5. Development of Volunteer Strategy

6. Environmental Systems
1. Finalising departmental and team forming workshops,
confirming vision, stakeholders and dependencies.
2. Working towards achieving our targets in the Operational
plan
3. Finalising our recruitment
1. Become a trusted environmental advisor for Council
2. Realise the opportunities with an increased focus on the
circular economy
3. Finalising alignment of existing team functions enabling
improved integration
1. Consultation closed on draft Electric Vehicle Charging
Strategy
2. Negotiated water use exemptions with Hunter Water
for essential Council services
3. Leak detection and rectification work has identified and
resolved leaks at Council facilities saving approximately
18,000 litres (L) per day
4. Successful with grant application ($200K) for expansion
of flood warning system (including community
engagement)
1. Preparation of Water Efficiency Management Plans for
all council sites that use greater than 10Mega-Litres
(ML) per year
2. Negotiating electricity supply contracts for small and
large Council sites
3. Commencing bushland works as part of the strategic
program of works to manage natural areas
4. Continuing with recruitments
5. Preparing forward works program and next years
budget
6. Reporting draft Environmental Sustainability Strategy
2020-2027 to Council for public exhibition

7. Environmental Regulation & Compliance
1. Deliver improved Regulation
2. Develop and implement a Regulation and Compliance
Policy and Strategy
3. Implementation of the department and team structures,
individual roles and responsibilities
4. Work on business process improvement initiatives to
improve efficiencies, provide opportunities, and develop
appropriate skills
1. Review the way we collect information and prioritise
tasks based on risk
2. Continue to review and undertake business improvement
initiative to improve efficiencies
3. Understand what skills and knowledge staff and teams
possess to consider multi skill and collaboration
opportunities
4. Clearly define our roles to internal and external
customers
5. Adopt new technology to enhance the way we complete
our work
1. Process Mapped for Rangers Orders and Notices
2. Regulatory Info and Intelligence – Regional Councils
3. Regulation and Compliance Policy Review to
Communications
4. 70% of formal interview and investigation techniques
completed
1. Continue Process Mapping for Notices and Orders
2. Standardise Notices and Orders across ERC
3. Discussion with Adjoining Councils about information
sharing
4. ERC Officers 100% complete of formal interview and
investigation techniques

8. Arts Culture and Tourism
1. Ensure that the major Cultural capital projects – Art
Gallery, Windale Community Centre and Library, Wangi
Library and MAP continue through the design and
construction phases on time and in budget as well as be
centre of cultural excellence once opened.
2. Continue with the restructure program for the team.
3. Implement actions in ACT strategic and business plans.
1. Complete recruitment for Phase Three by the end of
2019.
2. Host Carols on the 8th December.
1. Superboats event on the 27th October was a great
success with an estimated 30,000 people watching the
2 day event.
2. Started external recruitment for vacant positions in the
restructure.
3. Lake Macquarie Tourism was named winner of the Best
Tourism Solution category at the 2019 Newi Awards for their
Love the lake winter destination marketing campaign.
1. Open MAC on the 22nd.
2. Assess and secure the new café operator and Hire
prospectus for MAC.
3. Assess Round Two of the Community Events and
Sponsorship funding.
4. Present to Council International Engagement Policy,
Cultural Collections Policy and Urban and Public Art
Strategy for public exhibition.

9. Property and Business Development
1. Increase role satisfaction and engaged workforce:
• Support front line decision making
• Collaboratively develop metrics of our performance
• Celebrate our wins!
2. Provide opportunities for our teams to be part of Business
Improvement initiatives
3. Identify our opportunities and risks:
• Honestly assess our team capability gaps and develop
solutions
• Develop our ‘Ideas & Opportunities Safe Space’ where all
the blue sky ideas can be floated
1. Promote capacity building by providing cross team
opportunities
2. Grow our community/industry recognition and
knowledge base by participating in Peak Industry Body
events and forums
3. Managing our information: Develop a monthly dashboard
reporting system that measures progress against targets
1. Progressed our General Fund Contribution
Review and Portfolio Review.
2. Political awareness workshop successfully
rolled out to teams.
3. Creating spaces Managers consultation
completed.
4. Farewelled Shanaye Hall (E2E Trainee)
1. Documenting our internal department “Ideas &
Opportunities” capture strategy
2. Developing our information and reporting metrics
including finance reporting and forecast management
3. Developing our Facilities Team structure

10. City Projects
1. Assist other Council Departments define and scope
projects. This may take the form of staff working cross
department and reverse briefing of projects.
2. Continue to efficiently deliver projects as well as expand
resources and skillsets to deliver current and future
projects.
3. Review Delegations to better suit organisational
objectives.
4. Maintain continually improve existing culture to ensure
teamwork is maintained and collaboration between teams
continues.
1. Flexibility
2. Empowerment
3. Responsibility
4. Opportunity
1. Continued rollout of revised team structure.
2. Continued working with asset creation teams on
revised forward planning processes.
3. Implemented revised financial delegations.
4. Commenced internal risk review of projects to consider
team based resourcing opportunity
5. Commenced collaboration with asset creation teams
on 2020/21 programme
6. Review of Engineering Team continuing.
1. Complete review of Engineering team
2. Continue to support Major Organisational projects
with resources
3. Recruitment of two Public Domain team leaders.
4. Leadership team training in Local Government
Finances

11. Communications and Corporate Strategy
1. Clarify team structures for the Council and Corporate
Liaison team (Governance/Council Business Support and
Corporate Planning), and Communications team
(marketing, media, social media, community engagement
functions into one team) and update position statements
as required
2. Provide opportunities for our teams to be part of Business
Improvement initiatives
3. Implement customer-focused Communications support
across the organisation – one key communications contact
per project
1. Provide opportunities and capacity building across the
organisation in advocacy, supported by Government
Relations and Policy Advisor
2. Working with Regulation and Compliance to make our
Council report templates more user-friendly
1. SLN workshop to assess reputational risk of non-capital
projects and initiatives
2. Re-launch of Organisational Performance Report
(formerly known as the Monthly Management Report)
1. Preparing material and attending team meetings to
promote communications support across the
organisation
2. Recruitment of key positions to support a future-
focused Council and Corporate Liaison team
3. Working with Legal to optimise our delegations
process
4. Implementing a new Council report template

12. People, Culture and Risk
1. Team forming workshops, confirming vision, priorities,
objectives and measures
2. Clarifying team structures, or team and individual roles and
responsibilities, and addressing any gaps, updating position
statements and delegations where needed
3. Working with the Future Directions team to optimise our
processes
4. Understanding the needs of our customers and involving our
customers in the design of our services and supporting
processes
1. Put the customer at the centre of service and process design
2. Empower frontline decision-making in our department by
building coaching capability, improving communication,
stabilising process and closely connecting to our customers
3. Review our service catalogue and adopt new best practice
services where there is clear value to the organisation
4. Drive innovation and improvement within the organisation
through the BI Capability-Building Program and the BI
program of works
5. Leading efforts to humanise risk at Lake Mac with the
development and rollout of training and the provision of
increased support through our new Risk Partnering structure
1. PCR team volunteering initiative (getting closer to
Council’s customers) – Living Smart and EcoAngels
2. Visioning workshop with Workforce Planning team
exploring future function, services and structure
3. Implementation of new templates and improvements
to the Recruitment Process such as simplified
documents
4. New leadership positions in Employee Support
appointed and individuals commenced
5. All Risk and Safety Advisors now in place
1. Recruitment of six People Support Business Partners in
progress
2. Enterprise Risk Management Framework to be
released and Risk Management eLearning rolled out to
support capability build across the organisation
3. Business Analyst position now being appointed to
transition Module Ownership from Future Directions
into PCR
4. Customer Service Pillars and Service Catalogue will be
implemented via PCR team event on 28 Nov
5. Researching future potential services through our PCR
Innovation Working Group

13. Integrated Planning
1. Prepare a 4-year IP works program (complete)
2. Work with Corporate Planning and BI to prepare a register of
strategies and their actions with a view of aligning
Councils/City’s high level long term strategic plans. (complete)
3. Develop project management skills and discipline for IP planning
projects. This will improve the timeliness, cost and quality of
projects IP undertakes. (ongoing)
1. Build stronger relationships with key Government and Industry
partners to better deliver on objectives in City-wide Strategic
Planning documents.
2. Improve knowledge and make full use of our GIS as a business
intelligence/analysis tool – not just for mapping.
3. Work with Communications & Corporate Strategy to identify a
single name and way to fully integrate and align our
Councils/City’s high level long term strategic plans.
4. Work with Capital Works Steering Group to closer align capital
investment with strategic objectives for the City.
1. Finalised our teams’ purpose (why) statement –
As planners in Lake Mac, we have a personal and
professional sense of stewardship, to sustain and improve
2. Commenced exhibition of draft Lake Macquarie Local
Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS) (strategic action plan)
including short, medium and long term actions that will be
included in the Operational Plan. The LSPS is also IP’s 4-year
works program.
3. Prepared an action plan in response to the Voice Survey
results for our dept.
4. Smart Cities Lead commenced and working on
implementation of the Innovators Support Roadmap
1. Working with BITS – GIS team to run version 1 of the
Walkability model for the entire LGA. This will give each
suburb/area in the LGA a walkability rating/score which can
be used by various departments in their decision making.
2. Exploring uses of the 3d model of the City that Council has
purchased.
3. Finalise draft Housing Strategy for Lake Mac and get
decision to place on public exhibition.

14. Financial Services
1. Continuing Financial Services’ cultural journey – building a
strong culture around customer and continuous
improvement
2. Bedding down the financial system
3. Being an agile department that is both stable and dynamic
4. Establishing the Procure to Pay team
5. Improving the way we deliver financial planning and
analysis to the organisation
6. Building empowerment and capacity within the Financial
7. Services leadership team and department
1. Procure to Pay process and system improvements
2. Collaboration with the organisation to streamline the
annual budget and quarterly review process
3. Continue to partner with the organisation and work on
finance system improvements
4. Developing a standard suite of financial reports at
Council, Cluster and Department level
5. Partnering with the business
1. September review partially complete
2. Financial maturity actions workshop held
3. Appointed the Coordinator Financial Planning
4. Wrote the new position statements and job sized them
in the P2P restructure
5. 2018/19 annual financial statements:
1. Audit completed – clean bill of health
2. Audit Risk & Improvement Committee adopted
3. Council adopted
4. Lodged with OLG
1. Complete the September review
2. Commence a process review of the quarterly review
3. Commence 2019/20 budget
4. Develop Procurement Strategic Plan 2019/2020 draft
5. Carry out Procurement policy and procedure review
6. Continue with the P2P restructure

15. City Works
1. Promote a positive culture within the Department where
customer outcomes are the priority and we have higher degrees
of engagement through mutual care, ownership, and
performance;
2. Implementation of a departmental sub-structure that supports
our breadth of functions in a logical and effective manner;
3. Develop and implement a Workforce Strategy that supports the
gaining and use of skills and responds to our aging workforce
demographic;
4. Facilitate the reuse of waste materials including compost, glass,
and plastics in our works;
5. Improving our work delivery through better planning,
scheduling, and performance monitoring.
1. Review our work delivery methods in general, to look for
better ways to work, and in particular work with staff
delivering the new functions to the Department (coming from
the reconfiguration);
2. Investigate tools to support better planning and scheduling of
our maintenance and capital works delivery;
1. Leadership Development Program continues into month 4 of
6mth program
2. Draft department sub-structure given “in-principle” support
by the Executive, with approval to commence consultation
with staff on restructure options;
3. Design of staff development and relief program continues;
4. Continuing to work with leaders in AM and CW to bring
clarity to the roles of asset inspector staff;
5. Preventative maintenance program for building and park
facilities approved by Executive.
6. “precinct-based” vegetation management model
implementation has been completed on east side of lake;
1. Continue implementation of our “precinct-based”
vegetation management model across the rest of the City;
2. Establishment of a collaborative forum to develop culture –
building objectives;
3. Support the Investigation of corporate software
applications to support works management;
4. Implementing a preventative maintenance program for
building and park facilities.
5. Undertake role clarity workshops for asset inspector
function.
6. Continue consultation on restructure

16. Customer Experience
1. Creating efficiencies in the way that we work so that we utilise
our workforce in the best possible way.
2. Business partnering with departments to provide a value add
internal service.
3. Working on business or process improvement initiatives to
improve the service we provide to our customers.
4. Provide opportunities for our teams to be part of project teams
to develop skills in business improvement.
5. Implementing customer satisfaction feedback mechanisms for
both internal and external customers.
6. Develop a customer experience strategy.
1. Building capacity in our teams through working cross
collaboratively and reducing duplication of tasks.
2. Collaborate with teams outside of Customer Experience to
provide customer insights to assist with business or process
improvement initiatives.
3. Partner with key departments to improve customer
experiences by understanding their requirements and
providing a value add service.
4. Build capability in our teams through becoming involved in
business improvement project work.
5. Provide valuable customer insights back to the business.
1. Completed the Position Statement for the Printing Services
Coordinator.
2. Worked with the BITS team to finalise the knowledge
management solution for CSC and Lake Mac Print website.
3. Trialling assisting the Building Services team by responding
to customers with the outcome to their requests for service
have.
4. Continued to attend internal department meetings to
present CSC information.
5. Launched the quarterly CE department newsletter ‘Let’s
Lake Chat’.
6. Development the Records Strategy Draft Vision Statement.
1. Updating position statements.
2. Researching records/information management practices in
other organisations to assist with the development on the
Records Strategy.
3. Consulting with SLN on the draft guiding principles and
objectives for the Customer Experience Strategy.

17. Development Assessment and Certification
1. Clarify team structures, individual roles and responsibilities,
address any gaps, updating position statements and delegations
where needed
2. Work on business or process improvement initiatives to reduce
processing times including streamlining referral process
3. Develop and implement a marketing and promotions strategy
for the building certification services
4. Work with the development industry to ensure we are able to
attract positive economic and tourist development to the city
5. Cultivate a strong relationship with other departments within
our cluster and organisation
1. Working with Integrated Planning and Development
Contributions to provide a better customer experience in the
development realm
2. Engaging with the development industry to meet our
customers expectations and provide a better end to end
customer experience
3. Promoting and redefining the Duty Building/Planner service
4. Developing the use of mobile technology and electronic
systems in lodgement and assessment of applications
5. Expanding the DAC Development Tour to include other teams
6. Collaborating with Environment, Regulation and Compliance to
drive innovation and identify future enhancements to mobile
inspection systems
1. Implemented streamlined approach to parking variations on
development applications
2. Working with Hunter Central Coast Development Corp and key
potential developers regarding re-development opportunities
for the former Pasminco smelter site
3. Commenced using new Road Act approvals process (Public
Works Certificates) for developer works in the public domain
4. Continuing to refine process, with Assets and Project
Management teams, for developer bonds for outstanding works
5. Completed recruitment of Senior Development Planners with
successful candidates internal recruits demonstrating the depth
of talent within the organisation
1. Commencement of new Development Engineer to assist
workload management in the Subdivision team
2. Refining the Traffic Facilities Committee referral and
approval process between DAC & Assets
3. Working with Integrated Planning to improve assessment
and delivery of Small Lot Housing outcomes
4. Discussing smart cities opportunities / integration in new
subdivisions with Integrated Planning and developers
5. Working with Assets and key developer to try to achieve
better Street Tree planting outcomes