MEETING BRIEFS ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING 26 MARCH 2026

CHANGE OF MEETING DATES

The dates of two future Council meetings have been rescheduled to avoid disrupting attendances at the meetings.

The Ordinary Council meeting currently scheduled to be held on Wednesday 4 June 2025 has been rescheduled to be held on Tuesday 3 June 2025.

A second meeting has been rescheduled to avoid a clash with the Norfolk Island Thanksgiving holiday, with the meeting moved from Wednesday 26 November 2025 now to be held on the following day, Thursday 27 November 2025.

ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED

Council endorsed the establishment of an Environment and Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC) at its 26 March meeting.

This followed an expression of interest (EOI) process for residents and subject matter experts to join the committee, which will operate as an important link between the community and Council on environment and sustainability issues including waste and wastewater management, water quality and security, biodiversity and land management issues.

The committee members will play an active role in contributing to Council policy and direction, providing advice and perspectives around new initiatives, some operational aspects and challenges facing the community.

With six community members with voting rights, and non-voting members from the Department of Environment, Agriculture and Water and Norfolk Island National Park and Botanic Gardens, ESAC will also identify opportunities for collaboration, evaluate plans and recommend programs, and assist and advice on community education in the areas the committee is responsible for.

The newly appointed community committee members for ESAC were selected from a list of nine applicants and represent a range of community interest areas. The committee comprises Judith Anderson, Marg Christian, Rebekah Gupte, George Parsons, Susan Prior and Joel Quintal, and representatives from the Department of Environment, Agriculture and Water and Norfolk Island National Park and Botanic Garden.

A similar EOI for a Tourism and Economic Development Advisory Committee failed to attract sufficient numbers to make up the committee. To ensure community and industry input into the development of current and future operation plans, Council chose instead to consult with existing stakeholders including the Norfolk Island Accommodation and Tourism Association (ATA and Business Council of Norfolk Island (BCNI). The applicants to the EOI for committee membership will also be contacted, with a view to potential inclusion in consultation processes.

NIRC extends thanks to all applicants who responded to the EOI’s and looks forward to the input from this group over the term of the committee.

WORK ONGOING IN PROVIDING A SUSTAINABLE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY SERVICE

A report to Council’s March meeting noted that the electricity business unit is a large contributor to NIRC’s operating deficit. Operational costs are being reviewed to deliver an efficient service, while pricing for electricity continues to be reviewed in preparation for the coming financial year.

A large part of the review is the condition of electricity assets and how this relates to service continuity. External consultancy GHD was recently engaged to conduct a review of electricity assets. While this work is yet to be completed, GHD have advised that the generation and supply of energy on Norfolk Island requires a significant amount of work under a very broad range of activities, undertaken by a small and agile team.

The debt generated in the electricity business unit has impacted the provision of other community services that Council provides.

In addition to the above, Council Administrators Scott Mason and Gary Mottau moved to take immediate action to work with the community to address reduce debt levels.

Their motion gave the Acting General Manager authority to enter into fresh discussions with customers who have been disconnected for failure to pay electricity bills, to establish a workable payment scheme with the intent of having these customers reconnected.
Addressing concerns raised by the community, the motion stipulated that these payments would be received directly into a Norfolk Island Regional Council bank account.

A review of the Debt Recovery and Hardship Policy will occur in the near future to ensure consistency with the motion.

ASSET MANAGEMENT POLICY ON PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Council has reviewed the Norfolk Island Regional Council Non-Current Asset Accounting Policy as part of its review cycle of all policies, and the document is now available for community feedback online.

The policy looks at all aspects of an asset throughout its life, particularly as it relates to financial and operational purposes. Asset management, maintenance and replacement is among Council’s largest area of expenditure, and the policy ensures that assets are treated with appropriate accounting actions that contribute to the economic benefit of NIRC and the Norfolk Island community.

As a guideline, the policy ensures compliance with relevant legislation and regulations, stipulates how the asset is accounted for, including when renewal, upgrade or expansion expenditure will be required, and when the asset can be removed from the asset register.

Effective management of Council assets feeds directly into the administration of capital work in progress budgets, allowing a clear view of current and future asset life.

Minor amendments are proposed, and these can be viewed on Council’s website under Documents for Public Exhibition until 23 April 2025.

HIGH PRIORITY SAFETY ISSUES ADDRESSED

In October 2024, a Work Health and Safety (WHS) Audit identified non-compliance issues across areas of Norfolk Island Regional Council operations.
A report to the Council meeting highlighted that as of 14 March 2025, 20% on these non-complaint issues had been resolved, with a focus on Very High and High priority action items being addressed first.

Among the corrective actions being implemented are an audit of port management, including the reinstatement of Cargo Day Safety Committee meetings, and Confined Space Training for relevant staff.

The newly reestablished Work Health and Safety (WHS) Consultative Committee, made up of staff from across the organisation, has had its first meeting to discuss the Work Health and Safety Management System and the WHS Audit Corrective Action Plan that resulted from the October 2024 audit.

Council has also appointed a Senior Safety Coordinator this month, who has already started looking at key safety areas such as lighterage, the desalination plant and other WHS risks.

ACCESS TO RESTRICTED AREAS TO BE TIGHTENED

Norfolk Island Regional Council moved to tighten access to restricted areas for public safety reasons.

Public areas that present safety concerns for unauthorised visitors will be assessed for current security measures and actioned to prevent continued access by the public.

The areas that Council is specifically concerned about are the Drill Ground, the area between the Waste Management Centre and airport runway, Youngs Road Quarry, airside areas of the airport, Sewerage Treatment Plant and infrastructure, and the electricity powerhouse, which are all restricted access areas.

These areas present hazards that may present harm to people who are not aware of the unique dangers of the sites and are restricted to ensure public safety. Council will be implementing stronger controls for these areas and provide clear signage to notify the public of restricted areas
The quarry project is now underway, and it’s vital that anyone not connected with that project stays clear of the site until completed.