July Mayor's Message 2024
Published on 24 July 2024
I hope this message finds you well as we have been braving the cold that mid-winter brings. Speaking of cold, Karina Ewer, Council’s CEO and I travelled to Canberra in early July for the National General Assembly and Australian Council of Local Government. These are annual events where mayors, councillors and executive council staff assemble in the Nation’s capital. It was a great opportunity to hear about new initiatives and to meet directly with members of the federal government. In particular, we were pleased to meet with Hon Kristy McBain MP, the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories with whom we discussed the challenges of funding in local government and the need for more financial support from the Commonwealth particularly in light of the growing demands being made on councils. We also asked Minister McBain to assist us in securing a meeting with Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, the Minister for the Environment and Water. We highlighted the disastrous impacts we foreshadow may occur as a consequence of water buybacks and expressed our disappointment in the release of the tender which is regrettably focussing on our backyard. Since our meeting we have also written directly to Minister Plibersek and requested, for a second time, that she visits our region. At time of writing, no response has been received.
This past month we welcomed the findings of a recent report from the NSW Auditor-General that supports our council’s view that the response times provided previously in relation to ambulance attendance in Tocumwal are inaccurate. In particular, the report sheds light on several critical areas, especially that prior reporting obscures differences in regional and metropolitan performance. We appreciated the detailed analysis and recommendations provided in the report. The establishment of an ambulance station in Tocumwal will significantly improve healthcare outcomes for our community. We look forward to further discussions and announcements that will hopefully see a station in Tocumwal in the future.
Coming up on the weekend of 24 and 25 August, Sporties Barooga will once again host the Australian Mini Golf Open. The event will be fun for participants and spectators alike, so please do look out for more details on Facebook. There will even be a celebrity event on Friday 23 August where I am going to have a go!
As many of you will know, this is the final mayor’s message for this term of Council. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow councillors for their significant contributions. For those who intend to stand for election again, I wish you luck and for those who will be stepping down I would like to thank you for your service to our community. For those who may be interested in running for Council, nominations open on 5 August and close at 12 noon on 14 August. More information about the election can be sourced online and via social media.
In conclusion, on behalf of all Councillors, I would like to thank the staff of Berrigan Shire Council for all the work they have undertaken during this term. Under the leadership of Karina Ewer, as a team you have performed and delivered services to our community to the highest of standards.