Managing our property portfolio
Council owns and manages a wide variety of property that serves a range of community, administrative and commercial uses including 542 buildings and 2,900 land parcels.
Our Northern Beaches Property Management Framework will guide the management of our land and building assets and help us to make short, medium and long term decisions. The goal of the property management framework is to ensure the most effective provision and use of these property assets to meet the needs of our community, and protect our environment and heritage.
The framework provides principles and guidance on how we will manage our extensive property portfolio over the next five-years including effective consultation, due diligence, and approvals by the Property Steering Committee and elected Councillors.
It is important to note that the draft framework does not dictate any particular action on a specific parcel of land or land use generally.
We exhibited the draft Property Management Framework between 28 February and 30 March 2022. We received 18 submissions during this time.
At the meeting held on Tuesday 26 April 2022, Council adopted the Northern Beaches Property Management Framework and the Property Steering Committee Terms of Reference, April 2022.
View the Council Report (Item 13.3) and the Community and Stakeholder Engagement Report and Council Minutes (Item 13.3).
Principles for property decision making
Our proposed focus areas and actions
It is vital to establish a baseline to be clear on what property Council holds, what the current purpose and use of that land is and what Council’s future property needs are.
To deliver the principles outlined in the draft framework we propose seven focus areas. Each of the focus areas has related actions which are provides in the dropdown boxes below.
The framework identifies eighteen actions in total.
Key proposed actions include preparing a Property Action Plan that will be reviewed and updated annually and establishing a Property Steering Committee that will have the expertise and governance to oversee this action plan and drive the performance of the property portfolio.
To establish and maintain a contemporary suite of property policies as well as timely and accurate property data to support the management of Council’s property portfolio.
To achieve this we will:
- prepare, consult on and finalise Property Management Framework
- align Property Policies with the Property Management Framework
- perform a baseline review of Council’s Land Register
- update the Land Register.
To strengthen relationships with major land owners on the Northern Beaches and better co-ordinate the management of public and private land to deliver improved outcomes for the community.
To achieve this we will:
- strengthen relationships with the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Lands Council (Metro LALC)
- continue to work with Crown Lands on the implementation of the 2016 Crown Lands Act and Land Negotiation Program
- strengthen relationships with state and federal government bodies.
To streamline the leasing and licensing process and update tenure agreements for all property to ensure fair and equitable allocation of community land and assets.
To achieve this we will:
- evaluate existing and expired leases and licences against the policy framework
- establish lease and licence templates for community tenure arrangements.
To regularly review the utilisation of land and building(s) in the property portfolio to determine whether they are being effectively utilised and to develop an annual Property Action Plan.
To achieve this we will:
- review the use of all Council owned and utilised property
- prepare a Property Action Plan for the Property Steering Committee (PSC) Review.
To consider whether the Property Portfolio is meeting the current and future needs of Council and the community in developing the annual Property Action Plan.
To achieve this we will:
- conduct an annual needs assessment of potential gaps in the Property Portfolio
- incorporate the needs assessment in the draft Property Action Plan.
To establish a sound governance framework to oversee the development and implementation of the Property Action Plan.
To achieve this we will:
- establish a Property Steering Committee as a committee of Council to oversee the Property Action Plan
- establish and maintain financial reserve to support the framework
- implement the Council approved list of proposals in the Property Action Plan.
To transparently report on the performance of the property portfolio and the implementation of the Property Management Framework to Council and the community.
To achieve this we will:
- establish property performance metrics
- annually report to Council on property performance metrics.
