Water & environment · Central Coast Council
Central Coast committee adopts unsolicited proposals and intellectual property policies
The Governance and Finance Committee adopted intellectual property and unsolicited proposals policies, while land, CCTV, information and artificial intelligence rules remain at different stages.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Central Coast Council’s Governance and Finance Committee adopted the Unsolicited Proposals Policy on 10 November, according to the meeting minutes. The committee also adopted an Intellectual Property Policy, while an updated land transactions policy takes effect from adoption and must be reviewed by 30 June 2030.
The committee adopted the Unsolicited Proposals Policy without recording a future Council approval step in the motion. It also adopted the Intellectual Property Policy. Both decisions were recorded in the public minutes as committee adoptions.
The updated Land Transaction Policy was adopted by the committee and approved for publication on Council’s website. It takes effect from the date of adoption. The vote was four to one, with Chair Jared Wright, Mayor McNamara, Helen Crowley and Doug Eaton OAM voting for it, and Jane Smith voting against.
Other information and technology policies have not reached the same stage. The committee endorsed the 2026-27 Agency Information Guide. For CCTV, it noted amendments to the Closed-Circuit Television Policy but only recommended that Council adopt the draft policy. The public minutes do not record a final Council adoption.
The committee also endorsed a draft Artificial Intelligence Implementation Policy for presentation to Council for public exhibition. Legal advice sought from Maddocks concerns the draft policy, proposed changes to Council’s email disclaimer and a proposed section identifying the level of artificial intelligence used in preparing Council reports. The committee recommended that Council exhibit the draft with any changes recommended and accepted as a result of that advice, and receive a further report after exhibition on engagement results and proposed policy changes.
The minutes do not give dates for any AI exhibition. They also do not record a date for Council to consider the recommended CCTV policy, leaving businesses, residents and other organisations with different next steps depending on which policy affects them.
What deserves a closer look
The source records adoptions for the intellectual property, unsolicited proposals and land transaction policies, but endorsement or recommendations for the Agency Information Guide, AI policy and CCTV policy.
The AI motion recommends Council exhibition incorporating any recommended and accepted legal-advice changes; it does not establish that Council approved or commenced exhibition.
The land-policy voting list contains four names in favour and one against.
Questions for follow-up reporting
When might Council consider the committee's recommendation on the draft CCTV Policy?
Will Council approve public exhibition of the draft AI policy, and if so, when?
Which changes arising from legal advice, if any, would be accepted if Council proceeds with AI policy exhibition?
What happens next
Council would need to decide whether to adopt the draft Closed-Circuit Television Policy recommended by the committee.
If Council agrees to the recommended AI policy exhibition, the exhibited draft would incorporate any changes recommended and accepted as a result of legal advice.
The committee recommends that Council receive a further report after any AI exhibition period on engagement results and proposed policy changes.
Publication of the updated Land Transaction Policy on Council's website was approved; the minutes do not establish that publication has occurred.
The committee requires a further review of the Land Transaction Policy no later than 30 June 2030.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The minutes record a motion adopting the Intellectual Property Policy, followed by a carried vote.
b. Receives a further report at the conclusion of the exhibition period outlining the results of the engagement and any proposed changes to the policy. CARRIED FOR: Cr Wright, Mayor McNamara, Cr Crowley, Cr Eaton OAM and Cr Smith AGAINST: Nil Central Coast Council Governance and Finance Committee Minutes 10 November 2026 Page 8 OFFICIAL 2.3 Intellectual Property Policy - for Adoption 8:12pm A MOTION was MOVED by Cr Wright and SECONDED by Cr Eaton OAM: GFC-26/56 That the Committee adopts the Intellectual Property Policy in Attachment 1 of this report. CARRIED FOR: Cr Wright, Mayor McNamara, Cr Crowley and Cr Eaton OAM AGAINST: Cr Smith 2.4 Unsolicited Proposals Policy - for Adoption 8:13pm A MOTION was MOVED by Cr Eaton OAM and SECONDED by Mayor McNamara: GFC-26//57 That the Committee adopts the Unsolicited Proposals Policy in Attachment 1 of the 'Unsolicited Proposals Policy - for Adoption' report.
Item 2.3, GFC-26/56
Open original minutes ↗The minutes record a motion adopting the Unsolicited Proposals Policy, followed by a carried vote.
CARRIED FOR: Cr Wright, Mayor McNamara, Cr Crowley and Cr Eaton OAM AGAINST: Cr Smith 2.4 Unsolicited Proposals Policy - for Adoption 8:13pm A MOTION was MOVED by Cr Eaton OAM and SECONDED by Mayor McNamara: GFC-26//57 That the Committee adopts the Unsolicited Proposals Policy in Attachment 1 of the 'Unsolicited Proposals Policy - for Adoption' report. CARRIED FOR: Cr Wright, Mayor McNamara, and Cr Eaton OAM AGAINST: Cr Crowley and Cr Smith 2.5 CCTV Policy - for Adoption RESOLVED by EXCEPTION on the MOTION as MOVED by Cr Wright and SECONDED by Cr Eaton OAM: GFC-26/58 That the Committee: 1.
Item 2.4, GFC-26//57
Open original minutes ↗The Land Transaction Policy motion adopts the policy with effect from adoption, approves publication on Council's website and requires review no later than 30 June 2030. The recorded vote lists four councillors for it—Cr Wright, Mayor McNamara, Cr Crowley and Cr Eaton OAM—and one against, Cr Smith.
Central Coast Council Governance and Finance Committee Minutes 10 November 2026 Page 9 OFFICIAL 2.6 Review of Land Transaction Policy - for Adoption 8:14pm A MOTION was MOVED by Cr Eaton OAM and SECONDED by Mayor McNamara: GFC-26/59 That the Committee: 1. Notes that a review of the Land Transaction Policy has been undertaken. 2. Notes minor changes proposed to the pre-existing Land Transaction Policy. 3. Adopts the draft Land Transaction Policy as attached and determine that it takes effect from the date of adoption. 4. Approves the publishing of the updated Land Transaction Policy on the Central Coast Council website. 5. Requires that a further review of the Land Transaction Policy take place no later than 30 June 2030. CARRIED FOR: Cr Wright, Mayor McNamara, Cr Crowley and Cr Eaton OAM AGAINST: Cr Smith 2.7 Agency Information Guide 2026-2027 - for Endorsement RESOLVED by EXCEPTION on the MOTION as MOVED by Cr Wright and SECONDED by Cr Eaton OAM: GFC-26/60 That the Committee endorses the Agency Information Guide in Attachment 1 of this report.
Item 2.6, GFC-26/59
Open original minutes ↗The CCTV item was resolved by exception: the committee noted policy amendments and recommended that Council adopt the draft Closed-Circuit Television Policy.
CARRIED FOR: Cr Wright, Mayor McNamara, and Cr Eaton OAM AGAINST: Cr Crowley and Cr Smith 2.5 CCTV Policy - for Adoption RESOLVED by EXCEPTION on the MOTION as MOVED by Cr Wright and SECONDED by Cr Eaton OAM: GFC-26/58 That the Committee: 1. Notes the amendments to the Closed-Circuit Television Policy as set out in Attachment 1 to the 'CCTV Policy - for Adoption' report. 2. Recommends that Council adopts the draft Closed-Circuit Television Policy as set out in Attachment 2 to the 'CCTV Policy - for Adoption' report.
Item 2.5, GFC-26/58
Open original minutes ↗The committee endorsed the Agency Information Guide under item 2.7, titled Agency Information Guide 2026-2027, by exception.
CARRIED FOR: Cr Wright, Mayor McNamara, Cr Crowley and Cr Eaton OAM AGAINST: Cr Smith 2.7 Agency Information Guide 2026-2027 - for Endorsement RESOLVED by EXCEPTION on the MOTION as MOVED by Cr Wright and SECONDED by Cr Eaton OAM: GFC-26/60 That the Committee endorses the Agency Information Guide in Attachment 1 of this report.
Item 2.7, GFC-26/60
Open original minutes ↗The AI motion endorsed the draft policy for presentation to Council for public exhibition and recommended that Council exhibit it incorporating any changes recommended and accepted following legal advice, then receive a further report on engagement results and proposed policy changes. The motion was carried.
3. Endorses the Draft Artificial Intelligence Implementation Policy at Attachment 1, with potential amendments as outlined, to be presented to Council for public exhibition. 4. Recommends that Council: a. Places the draft Artificial Intelligence Implementation Policy at Attachment 1, incorporating any changes recommended and accepted as a result of the legal advice, as presented in the report to Council on public exhibition. b. Receives a further report at the conclusion of the exhibition period outlining the results of the engagement and any proposed changes to the policy. CARRIED FOR: Cr Wright, Mayor McNamara, Cr Crowley, Cr Eaton OAM and Cr Smith AGAINST: Nil Central Coast Council Governance and Finance Committee Minutes 10 November 2026 Page 8 OFFICIAL 2.3 Intellectual Property Policy - for Adoption 8:12pm A MOTION was MOVED by Cr Wright and SECONDED by Cr Eaton OAM: GFC-26/56 That the Committee adopts the Intellectual Property Policy in Attachment 1 of this report.
Item 2.2, GFC-26/55
Open original minutes ↗The excerpt notes that legal advice had been sought from Maddocks on the draft Artificial Intelligence Implementation Policy, proposed changes to Council's email disclaimer and a proposed section in Council reports identifying the level of AI used in their preparation. It states that the advice and any recommended and accepted changes will accompany the report to Council.
Receives the report on the Draft Artificial Intelligence Implementation Policy, prepared in response to Council Resolution C-26/1130. 2. Notes that legal advice has been sought from Maddocks in relation to the Draft Artificial Intelligence Implementation Policy, proposed changes to Council's email disclaimer and the proposed inclusion of a section in Council reports indicating the level of artificial intelligence used in their preparation, and that this advice, together with any changes recommended and accepted as a result, will be provided with the report to Council.
Item 2.2, GFC-26/55
Open original minutes ↗The membership list identifies Jared Wright as chairperson and lists Helen Crowley, Doug Eaton OAM and Jane Smith as members, alongside Mayor McNamara.
OFFICIAL Central Coast Council MINUTES of the Governance and Finance Committee Meeting held in Function Room 2 2 Hely Street, Wyong Tuesday 10 November 2026 Members Status Cr Jared Wright, Chairperson Present Cr Kyle MacGregor, Deputy Chairperson Apology Cr Helen Crowley, Member Present Cr Doug Eaton OAM, Member Present Cr Jane Smith, Member Present (Items 1.1 - 3.2) Mayor McNamara Present Council Officers Status Jamie Loader, Chief Executive Officer Present Marissa Racomelara, Director Corporate Services Present Boris Bolgolf, Director Infrastructure Services Present Phil Cantillon, Acting Director, Community and Recreation Services Present
Meeting title and membership list
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from the public minutes of Central Coast Council’s Governance and Finance Committee meeting held on 10 November 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The committee adopted the Intellectual Property Policy and Unsolicited Proposals Policy.
- The updated Land Transaction Policy takes effect on adoption; the committee approved online publication and required a further review no later than 30 June 2030.
- The committee recommended that Council adopt the draft Closed-Circuit Television Policy, so the minutes record a recommendation rather than final Council adoption.
- The committee endorsed the draft Artificial Intelligence Implementation Policy for presentation to Council and recommended public exhibition incorporating any changes recommended and accepted following legal advice.
- The committee endorsed the 2026-27 Agency Information Guide.
Why it matters
- The committee adopted unsolicited proposals, land transaction and intellectual property policies, while the CCTV and artificial intelligence proposals remain subject to further Council decisions. The supplied minutes do not describe the contents of the adopted unsolicited proposals or intellectual property policies.