Councillor Report: Regents Park Ward, April 2026

The meeting at a glance

One council meeting was held since the last report, on Tuesday 25 March 2026. Rates are up 4.2% under the IPART rate peg, down from 7.1% last year. The Ruth Everuss family pass was reduced from $28 to $22. Two of my notices of motion carried: a Shop Local tree-planting pilot for Regents Park Ward and a smart parking feasibility study for Lidcombe. Council committed $50,000 to trial extended ranger hours. Over $1.4 million in road works has been completed in the ward since the last report. The Draft Operational Plan (the budget) is on exhibition until 23 April. The next council meeting is Wednesday 27 May.

Your money: draft budget 2026-2027

Council endorsed the Draft Operational Plan 2026-2027 and Draft Fees and Charges for 28 days of public exhibition. This is the annual budget - the document that sets what Council spends your rates on for the next financial year. It covers every service Council delivers, from roads and footpaths to libraries and waste collection, and locks in the capital works program. The exhibition closes at 11pm on Thursday 23 April 2026. Council adoption is scheduled for 24 June, with the new budget taking effect from 1 July. Clr Christou was the sole vote against.

Rates will increase by 4.2% under the IPART rate peg, a drop from last year’s 7.1%. Worth noting: that figure was set before the current fuel shortage hit. Fuel costs flow through everything Council does, from waste trucks to mowing crews to road crews, so the real pressure on Council’s budget over the next twelve months will likely be higher than what the draft assumes.

Win for local families: the family pass at Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre has been reduced from $28 to $22 per entry in the draft Fees and Charges. That is a real saving for families who use the pool regularly, and it came out of direct advocacy to make Council facilities more affordable.

Council also unanimously agreed to include $50,000 in the draft budget to trial extended operating hours for Rangers. This picks up the motion from February about after-hours compliance. Anyone who has dealt with illegal dumping, parking, or noise outside business hours knows why this matters.

Have your say: the exhibition closes at 11pm on Thursday 23 April 2026. You can submit online at haveyoursay.cumberland.nsw.gov.au, by email to Council@cumberland.nsw.gov.au (quote ref #OPFC2627), or by post to The General Manager, Cumberland City Council, PO Box 42, Merrylands NSW 2160.

My notices of motion

I moved two notices of motion at this meeting. Both carried.

• Shop Local Bonus Scheme for tree planting. Cumberland has one of the lowest urban tree canopy rates in Sydney. This motion endorses a “Shop Local Bonus” incentive where residents who plant a tree receive a local e-voucher redeemable at participating businesses. Stage 1 will be piloted in Regents Park Ward, focused on low-canopy streets, with multilingual access, equity targeting, and clear measures of success. The General Manager has been authorised to consult the Environment Advisory Committee, the local Chamber of Commerce, and traders on delivery and funding. A costed report is due by 31 August.
• Lidcombe Town Centre smart parking feasibility study. Parking around Lidcombe Station and the town centre is a constant source of complaints. This motion commits Council to a feasibility study into sensor-based smart parking that helps drivers find available spots in real time. It covers the Bridge Street car park, high-demand short-stay bays, and the kiss-and-ride zones on Tooheys Lane and Church Street, and looks at partnership opportunities with Transport for NSW. Report due 31 August.

From the chamber floor

• Children and Families Strategy 2026-2030. Council adopted the new four-year strategy covering early childhood services, youth programs, and family support. Carried unanimously.
• Councillor international travel transparency. Clr Ouf moved a motion to impose additional transparency requirements on councillor overseas travel. An amendment from Clrs Zaiter and Colman replaced the original, noting Council already adopted its Councillor Expenses and Facilities Policy in November 2025 requiring a council resolution for overseas travel, six-monthly public reporting, and audit. The amendment carried 9-6. I voted for the amendment.
• Recognising the 40 days of Lent. From 2027, Council will install banners recognising Lent in all town centres in the lead-up to Easter, and recognise Lent in social media and print campaigns. Carried, with Clr Garrard against.
• Mayoral minutes. The Mayor wished the community a happy International Women’s Day, Eid Mubarak, Nowruz Mubarak, and Easter. Carried unanimously.
• Items resolved by exception. Several tenders resolved without debate: mechanical workshop equipment, PPE supply, hygiene services, the Auburn Town Centre boom gate replacement, and the Pemulwuy landfill cap.
• Property Committee. The 9 March minutes were dealt with in closed session and adopted. Items included referring the Draft Parks Plan of Management to the NSW Department of Planning, endorsing NRMA EV charging on Council land, and resolving not to proceed with re-classification of land leased to Guildford Leagues Club.

Regents Park Ward: works update

Roads. Two major resurfacing jobs completed since the last report: Kerrs Road between Woodburn Road and Olympic Drive ($1.15 million) and Tilba Street between Woodburn Road and The Crescent ($275,000), both in Berala/Lidcombe. Birnie Avenue in Lidcombe ($131,000) is still at scoping stage.

Footpaths. Gallipoli Street in Lidcombe and Nottinghill Road in Berala are under construction. Adderley Street East (new footpath) and Grace Avenue in Lidcombe are done. Several more renewal jobs are at tender: Bridge Street, Cambridge Street, Frances Street, Vaughan Street, and Parramatta Road (Dartbrook Road to Station Road).

Major projects. The Auburn Basketball Centre of Excellence ($25 million) is under construction in Lidcombe. The Lidcombe Town Centre WestInvest project ($3.8 million for the Joseph Street Precinct) is at tender, with construction expected from April. The Auburn Park extension ($1.5 million, new basketball court and picnic area) remains in progress. At Wyatt Park, grandstand roof, scoreboard, and Auburn Youth Centre roof and HVAC works are underway, and the netball clubhouse ($105,000) is at tender. Jack and Jill Park in Berala is getting a new Exeloo amenities block ($300,000).

Completed. The Regents Park Community Centre internal refurbishment ($88,000), the Lidcombe Precinct multi-level carpark lighting upgrade ($263,000), Coleman Park Stage 1 dog off-leash area ($150,000), and Wyatt Park Athletics roof works ($44,000) are all done.

Around the community

March was a packed month. The Ramadan Street Festival on Auburn Road ran across two evenings with food stalls, cultural performances, and a community iftar. The Nowruz celebration on Merrylands Road drew families from across the LGA. Easter in the Gardens was held at Central Gardens Nature Reserve, and the Easter Extravaganza ran over two evenings at The Granville Centre.

The Library School Holiday Program is running over the April break. The WestWords Living Stories Western Sydney Writing Prize is back for its sixth year, with free creative writing workshops for young people at Regents Park Library on Thursday 16 April.

What’s next

There is no April meeting this year. The next meeting is Wednesday 27 May at 6.30pm, Council Chambers, Merrylands. The Draft Operational Plan exhibition closes before the May meeting, so get your submissions in while you can.

Enver Yasar Councillor, Regents Park Ward