Between 1 July and 31 July 2022 we consulted with you on the draft Northern Beaches Discretionary Fund Policy.

We received five submissions. In summary, the community commented on potential conflicts of interest by elected officials, transparency in relation to identifying all recipients including individuals, waste of public funds, accountability, the inclusion of ‘small businesses’ and clearer parameters around the activities to be funded.

A report was presented to Council at the meeting on Tuesday 27 September. The report noted engagement outcomes and recommended adoption of the draft policy.

Council endorsed the report and adopted the policy with some minor amendments.

To apply for funding under the policy, complete and submit the Discretionary Fund Application Form.

We reviewed the Northern Beaches Council Discretionary Fund Policy and prepared a draft policy for exhibition (draft policy).

The draft policy was exhibited from 1 to 31 July seeking feedback from the community via a submission form on this Your Say page, email to Council or in writing to our PO box.

The policy provides the opportunity for the Mayor and Councillors to respond to requests for financial assistance from individuals, community groups, community organisations and local businesses.

It also recognises that some activities and events arise which do not fall within the guidelines for other Northern Beaches Council funding programs but are still deserving of the support of Council. Applications are assessed against the eligibility criteria contained within the policy.

It was proposed that a report continues to be provided to Council every quarter outlining details of recipients and amounts paid under the Northern Beaches Council Discretionary Fund.

We provided a clean and a marked up version of the draft policy so you could see exactly what had changed.

Upon review of the community feedback received, we made amendments to the policy and provided these to Council for their consideration and adoption in the meeting on Tuesday 27 September 2022.